Amoryus and Cleopes :: :: University of Virginia Library

Amoryus and Cleopes

Metham, John

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AMORYUS AND CLEOPES

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The prolog in the thyrd boke.

The prolog in-to the laste boke.

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(106)

Now leue I this int[r]oducyng matere in specyal,
To declare the substauns off the story
Off Amoryus and Cleopes, beyng at thise mysteryis alle
In that tempyl, fulle lytyl knowyng qwat fortune was them ny
Off louys chauns; for thow thei were born fast by,
Nowdyr off odyr had very knowlech: for as I before told,
Amoryus was fostyrryd in the emperourys houshold.

(107)

Thys Amoryus in the tempyl yed vp and downe,
Conueyd with thise fresch yonge knytys,
Carpyng off auenturys; for lytyl deuocion
They had in the seruyse, but alle ther delytys
Was to se the gentylwomen, kastyng to and fro ther sytys;
For one thei spake, fyllyng the champ yche to odyr;
But with ther mowth thei musyd one .j., and with ther hert anodyr.

(108)

And as syre Amoryus talkyd, he kyst hys ye couertly
To beheld thise ladyis, notyng thayre demenauns
And eke ther beute; hys eye be-gan sodenly
To be set on one .j. abaschyd in maner off that soden chauns,
Meruelyng gretly that sche with so goodely countenauns
Kyste here eye a-syde, qwan he her beheld stedffastly,
Reuoluyd in hys mende that bothe sche was beuteus and womanly.

(109)

But alwey he fyllyd the tale amonge them alle,
That no creature coude aspye that he was bysy
About sqwyche materys; but anone he gan calle
A seruaunt, byddyng hym hys prayur rolle to fecche in hye,
And a-yen turnyd to the knytys. “Ye ax cause,” quoth he, “that I
Am behynde off my deuocionys.” “Deuocionys!” quoth thei,
“Qwat! pray qwan ye ar elde, and talke now stylle be yowre fey.”

(110)

But at the last this seruant come with this rolle,
Delyuerryd yt to Amoryus and he wold no lenger lett.
“Adweȝ;” quoth he to the knytys, “I must grete daune Appolle
With thise deuocionnys,” and on hys kneys doune hym sette;
And that thei schuld here, loude thus Venus he gret:
“In thi preysyng, O god Appollo! my vowe recuyue gracyusly
To my comfort and encrese off thi glory.”

(111)

And vp he rose, for done was hys gret deuocion;
But with hys rolle a-brod he welk fro the este to the weste;
And wyse and ware he was that, be no maner off suspycion,
The starerrys a-boute schul perseyue, but deme for the best
That he so yede; and nere as he durst euer he yede forby the closet
Qwer Cleopes sat: but euer fere off tungys hym let,

(112)

But at the last nere he gan take hys trace,
And as godely as he coude, he couertly kyst hys ye
Vp-on this lady; and efft forth gan kepe hys pace,
As he had done be-ffore; and sche anone gan yt aspye,
But qwy he so her beheld, sche knwe noght ueryly,
Saue for because off hys godely chere
Sche dempt that he her louyd in frendly maner.

(113)

And with that sche gan remembyr hys manhed and fame
That in ryffe was, and eke hys amyabyl stature.
“O!” quoth sche, “this ys Amoryus for certen, this ys the same
That so manfful ys in bateyl and so louely to yche creature.
O Venus!” quoth sche, “deme I noght aryte that this wurthy weryour
Schuld cast a loue to me, that fostryd hath be among most beuteus
Off alle Rome; for certeyn yt ys noght thus.

(114)

“But for sum odyr cause he dothe me behold.”
And as sche this gan reuolue in her mende to and fro,
He come forby at her bak and forth hys cours gan hold;
And sche anone gan consydyr hys stature as he gan goo,
Comendyng hys semlynes; and sone the delectabyl woo
Off louys fyre had percyd here hert, that her ful cure
Was hym to loue be-ffore yche erthely creature.

(115)

And efft with hys rolle he come, as he dyd beffore,
In hope that comffortyd schuld be, yff he myght her behold;
And stedffastly he gan her behold, but euer lenger the more
He went to a-be holpyn, the more hys hert gan fold.
And as he yede, sofftely he syghyd; and so sche supposyd qwat he wold.
But ho was than joyfful but sche, qwan sche herd that syghyng;
For more plesauns yt was to here than ony erthly thyng!

(116)

There was no wytt than to seke, in sotheffastnes,
To conclude vndyr qwat form thei myght aqweyntyd be.
A thowsand weys thei kyst thayre loue to expresse;
But redy womannys wytt ys yn soden casys off necessyte;
And so Cleopes there schewyd, to make in loue an entry,

To saue her worchyp, and that Amoryus schuld haue knowyng,
Be a fygure the entent off her inward menyng.

(117)

There was, as seyth the story, a portrature meruulus
In a boke that Cleopes had to sey on her deuocionys,
Portrayd with gold and verd; the qwyche conseyt representyd thus:
There was an hynde lying as yt had bene on stonys
Holdyng an hert. The [portraiture] bordyryd was with trw louys,
Be-fforn qwyche depeyntyd was a knyght knelyng,
Holdyng in one hand an hart, in the odyr [a] ryng.

(118)

But qwy yt was portrayd ne fallyth me to telle;
But for the conseyt womannys wytt to expres,
Thys lady had caught an ymagynacion off that meruel,
That in lyke thingys the dome lyke schuld be, sche gan ges.
“And yff he wyse be, my menyng he schal perseyue in more and les.”
And as he yede forby, sche held alofft her boke, and bysyly
Her ymagys beheld, and prince Amoryus yt gan aspye.

(119)

But that he meruelyd that sche with so sad chere
Be-held her boke, and with-in hys hert purposyd fully
To wytt qwat yt schuld be be sum maner,
That sche with stedffast chere beheld so bysyly.
And as fortune wold, Venus was born foreby,
To hos reuerens iche man and woman on knys them set,
And prince Amoryus doune knelyd by Cleopes closet.

(120)

Fyrst, he dyd be norture obeychauns that straungely,
And sche hym rewardyd ayen with wordys sofft;
But qwat he seyd or sche, my boke makyth no memory,

Saue qwan that Venus was born alofte
Hys eye on Cleopes boke, he kyst ful offte,
And sche a-purpose made with made with her fynger demo[n]stracion
Askauns. Constrwe now, for off my meny[n]g this ys the entencion.

(121)

And he sone yt perseyuid and gan reuolue to and fro
In hys hert, but lenger than he dyd abyde;
But vp he rose, and forth in hys walk he gan go,
Reuoluying in hys mende to and fro.
The portrature that he had sene on euery syde,
Noght the imagys only, but off the beholdyng
That sche with chere and fynger made ther-to tokenyng.

(122)

But the seruyse endyd, thise knyghtys come in fere
To Amoryus. “Qwat!” quoth thei, “benedicyte! ye arn wunder holy to-day!
Ye haue sayd for alle this weke yow[r] preyyer.”
“Yee, yee!” quoth Amoryus, “sumtyme to sporte, and sumtyme to pray;
Yt ys expedyent; I-wus yit I haue thingys to say,
But now for schortnes off tyme,
Off the resydu I schal abyde tyl tomorgh prime.”

(123)

Nedys he must depart, but lothe was he,
Fro hys lady; and sche with sqwemfful chere
Gan hym behold; but qwan sche say yt wold none odyr be,
But nede thei must depart. “Farewele,” quoth sche, “my knyght entere.”
And he, “Farewele, my hole plesauns and lady dere.”
In her hertys thus thei ment, at hos partyng was a priuy peyn;
But at thayr metyng come myrth ayeyn.

(124)

Hom iche creature yede afftyr this forsayd solempnyte
To her reffeccion, and yche man gan hym hye
To the tornamentys, and most in specyal for to se
The iustys that proclamyd were, most especyally
At the reqwest off the emperourys knytys; the qwyche bysyly
Than gan them harnes, hying hem to the feld
Qwere the knytys off the cuntre abydyn with spere and scheld.

(125)

And Amoryus nas noght be-hynde; but yit or he toke hys stede,
A portrayer he clepyd, byddyng hym in alle the hast he may,
Steyn with colourys in a kerchyff off a qwarter brede
The same conseyt that in Cleopes boke he sey.
And this portrayer with-owte delay
Steynyd yt sone; and for he knw Amoryus myght noght abyde,
For hast ayeyns a fyre he dryid the wrong syde.

(126)

And Amoryus fast this kerchyf gan wynde
Aboute hys ryght arme, that men myght yt see;
And on hys steede he lepe. “Qwer ys my fadyr? ys he behynd?”
To hys men he sayd. “He abydyth yow,” quoth thei, “in the entre.”
“And the knytys eke abyde thei me?
Wele,” quoth he, “here goth ther-fore.” And fast he prekyd to the place,
Ther the seruaunts telde hym hys fadyr was.

(127)

And as he come, hys fadyr gan yt asspye
Fro ferre. “Qwat,” quoth he, “hath he yondyr? Yt ys sum nysete.”
As he come nere,—“Qwat haue ye ther? qwat maner jape or foly?”
“Fadyr,” quoth he, “this nyght, for a specyal tokyn off vyctory,
Venus apperyd, schewyng this fygure to me,

Byddyng me the symylytude to forme; with the qwyche with-owte fayl
I schuld haue vyctory in euery tornyament and bateyl.”

(128)

“God yeue grace,” quoth he, “yt be so.” And forth thei gan ryde
To this place, qwere the knytys abydyn armyd bryght,
Houyng on horsbak, perand aboute on euery syde,
Qwan Amoryus schuld come; and anone ryght
The pepyl gan crye, that come to be-hold that syght:
“Make rome fast; for he comyth, owre lord Palamedon;
Hys sone eke, and the emperour[ys] knytys euery-chon.”

(129)

Sone as the statys had takyn her stagys,
Eke the ladyis off the toune her setys had take,
In-to the place come rydyng the emperour[ys] knytys, makyng chalengys
Ayens alle that wold come party in iustys to make
That day in the feld, for here soueren ladyis sake;
And Amoryus this mowthyd to plese Cleopes,
For sone he had her aspyid among alle the pres.

(130)

None erthly creature than gladder was than sche,
Qwan sche sey this conseyt aboute hys armour;
Kastyng alle doughtys asyde, full joyfful sche gan be,
Blyssyng fortune off that owre
Abydyn; but more glad, qwan that he
Qwyt hym as a champyon that day in the feld.
“Mars,” quoth sche, “fro alle aduersyteys Amoryus scheld!”

(131)

And as myn autour dothe wryte, thise iustys contunyed
Heght .viij. days; qwere to conclude, thise knytys imperyal
In tho iustys offtyn were onhorsyd
Off knytys off the cuntre; for many a falle
They had and eke yowyn; but be lykenes the vyctory specyal

They off the regyon schuld an-had at the conclusyon,
Had noght Amoryus hym qwyt as a fers lyon.

(132)

But off alle thise .viij. dayis, knyght for knyght, non so manly
Hym qwyt as Amoryus; for noght onys he was reysyd
Owte off hys sadyl, and yit yche day he had the vyctory
Off alle that ayens hym rydyn: for off the cuntre the knygtys nomberyd
Seuyn .vij. skore, that notabyl werryourys offtyn had be preuyd;
And off the emperourys knytys, with alle odyr off the toune,
But to and fourty, be ful computacion.

(133)

Erly on the eght .viij. day qwan endyd was the solempnyte
Off Venus and the tempyl, Amoryus lete cry among the pepyl alle,
Ayens as many as wold come, he redy schuld be
For hys lady sake to iuste, ayens yche knygh[t] in general,
In hys owne persone; and qwat he were myght yeue hym a falle,
Schuld ryghtly hys coursere and trappere possede,
And hys harnes haue for hys mede.

(134)

Thys was the cry off Amoryus in opyn audyens,
The qwyche ful sore to her hertys yede that enuyus were,
But nowght ther grucchyng myght help; for or he yede thens,
In justys a nwe skole he gan hem lere.
For nas ther non so strong, but he dyd hym bere
Owte off hys sadyl, or hors and man yede both to ground;
That hys manhod hys aduersaryis abaschyd and confound.

(135)

And casually yt happyd, there come rydyng for-by
A knygh[t] auenterus, that for hys lady souereyn
Had foughtyn in kyngys londys sundry.
He off thise iustys had gret dysdeyn,

Qwan he beheld one .i. ouercome so many.
Sone off the pepil he enqwiryd, that stod hym by,
“Qwat ys he yon,” quoth he, “that thus fersly iustyth to-day;
That no knyght hym onhors may?”

(136)

“Syr,” quoth thei, “yt ys Amoryus, the lordys sunne off this cyte.
A more manful man off hys age we trowe, liuyth noght.”
“A!” quoth this knyght, “ys this Amoryus? Ys yt he?
Wele,” quoth he, “hys pride this day ful sore schal be bowght.”
And with-owte wordys moo he rode in-to the place,
And to Amorys thise wordys spake with sterne face:

(137)

“I chaleng the,” quoth the knyght, “qwat-sum-euer thow be,
To fyght with-in the lyst for thi lady sake,
At alle poyntys off armys, and yff yow dar mete with me,
Geue an ansqwer, for I none odyr day wul take.”
And Amoryus ful norturely sayd, “I,” quoth he, “for my lady sake
Redy am; but as ye may be resun consydyr,
To fyght on fote,—I am noght now arayd ther-affter.

(138)

But fyrst with scharp sperys one .j. cours let vs asay
And affter I schal chonge myne harnes to yowre entent.”
“I graunt in feyth,” quoth this knyght, “I schal neuer say nay;
But ho ys lord,” quoth he, “off this tornament?”
“My lord, my fader,” quoth Amoryus; “he syttys here present.”
“With hym wold I speke,” seyd the knyght. And with-owte more
He browt hym syre Palamedon be-fore.

(139)

To home, as knyghthod askyth, he yaf informacion
Qwat he was, and qwy he come, and off the chalenge
Made to Amoryus; and qwan he herd hys conclusyon,
Sumqwat asstoynyd; for hym thowt straunge and alenge
Off hys aray, for the colourys and qweynt facion;
But at the last he welcummyd hym goodely,
Grauntyng the effecte off hys dysyre fully;

(140)

Comaundyd eke to be led to hys palyce,
And with alle humanyte to be reffreschyd beffore hys labour;
But the knyght noght wold, for crwel hert and malyce,
Seyng, “I dysyre no reward off toune nere towre.”
“Wele,” quoth Palamedon, “begynne yowr fyght this same owre;
I held me payd.” But trwe that prouerbe than preuyd so,
That ouer-hasty man wantyd neuer woo.

(141)

But qwy I rehersyd be-ffore that Palamedon gan wondyr
Off this knytys aray, this was cause in specyal,
For a tokyn yt dyd schew; that men schuld knowe asundyr
The feld off tho kyngys armys alle
In hos kyngdams he had foutyn, bothe gret and smal:
For off yche regyon he bare the cheff coloure in hys harnes,
To notyffye the manhod off hys scharp iurneys.

(142)

For the kyngdam off Ethyop, hos kyng beryth a lyon rampand
Off goulys in a feld off sabyl, this forsayd knyght
Blak sabatouns weryd; and for Arge, hos kyng a lebard passaund
Off syluer in uerd bare, he vsyd greuys that with grene were dyght;
And for the regyon off Ynde, that in the este hat the syght,
That asure and gold gerundy bare, hys one cuschew blwe,
Hys odyr alle depeyntyd with yelwe;

(143)

And for the kyngdam off Arabe, hos gouernour
A gryffyn off golde in goulys dyd bere,
Thys knyghtys vambracys in coloure
Alle depeyntyd with red were;
And for the kyngdam off Lyby the qwyche a toure
Off syluer in asure bare, hys rerebracys
Were depeyntyd with blwe, hangyng ful of lacys.

(144)

And alle hys odyr harnes off bryght stele
With-owte depeyntyng; as hys rerebracys and hys gorget,
Hys basenet and hys gauntelettys; for he purposyd that cele
To a colouryd hys odyr harnes euery dele
With the armys off Perse; and so yt was qwan Amoryus with hym met.
He clad hym alle in goulys as I ges
Qwan ouerron with blod was alle hys harnes.

(145)

But schortly to conclude, Amoryus and this knyght
Her cours begunne, on courserys huge and mayn;
And at the fyrst metyng Amoryus this odyr gan smyght
Vp-on hys vmbrere; that the spere-hed lefft in hys brayn,
And so schet hym ouer hys hors on the pleynne
Dede,—as he must nedys, hos seruaunts thus pride doth reward,
That for hynes off hert at none odyr hath regard.

(146)

Thus endyd were the iustys and eke the solempnyte
Off the dedycacion and the laure off marcyan vyctory
Youyn was to Amoryus; and eke my boke tellyth, that qwan he
Had slayne this knyght, he rode for-by
Qwere Cleopes sate and odyr ladyis, salutyng them godely,
Seyng, “This iuberte haue I abydyn for my lady souereyn,
And yit nowdyr off vs knowyth odyr, I dar sauely seyn.”

(147)

And thei alle rysyn, thankyng hym norturely
That he hym so manly dyd qwyght;
And most in specyal Cleopes gan hym preyse, that he so honourly
Had hym born, besechyng Venus hym to deyfy in heuyn bryght,—
“For gret pyte yt were, that owght but goode schul on yow lyght.”
And Amoryus hys hed gan enclyne, seyng with goodely chere,
“God do yow mede, madame, for yowre goode prayere.”

(148)

And sone this tornament brake vp, and yche man yed ther wey
Thydyr fro thens he come; and the nest morw be pryme
The emperour[ys] knyghtys homeward fast schop ther jurney,
Thankyng Palemedon off hys gret chere offtyn tyme,
And eke off the ryche yifftys with the qwych he hem dyd lyme,
That to the emperour come sone with tydyng off Perse;
Qwere I them leue, floryschyng in prosperyte.