University of Virginia Library

[Reade ere thou iudge, then iudge thy fill]

Reade ere thou iudge, then iudge thy fill,
But iudge the best, and mende the yll.

Galfrido and Bernardo le Vayne.

Now boystrous Boreas hath left off
his puffing blastes to blowe,
Now haue the foming seas theyr will
to ebbe or for to flowe:
The troubled sayler he doth laugh
to see the waues at rest,
The marchant he triumphes for ioy,
and thinkes the Gods haue blest
Him carefull man: whose carefull head
is troubled howe to keepe
Unruly barke of his, from wracks
of suche as dayly creepe
From shore to shore, still practising
howe they myght gette the gayne
Of suche things as the marchaunt he
hath woonne with cruell payne.
Dooth not the theeuishe rouer sporte
when hee at anker lyes,
Whiche lately with outragious cryes
his ending day espyes?
Dooth he not thinke that Neptune God
hathe ridde hym out of thrall?
Or did not that Aeneas vile,
whiche Captayne was of all
The lande and goods that Dido queene
was able for to make:
Was he not glad at sodayne calmes
(thinke you) and so to take
His harbor where he might it finde,
or where it was assingde
By mightie Gods aboue, or else
by mother his so kinde?
What fearefull nations did inuade
Achilles woofull wight,
When hushing waues ten in a rowe
did ouerrunne him quight?
Did he not cut the waters salt
the foming seas apace,
When as the cruell nipping winde
was wholly in his face?
Were not companions his sore toylde
vppon the raging flood?
But when that they arriude to Troy,
then they did thinke it good
That they had laborde so in stormes,
for then in wether cleere
They canuas may their bisket harde,
and tipple vp the beere,
Which lay all harde a sennights space,
(as Ouid he dooth tell:)
So may they tayre their bakon blacke,
and feede of it full well,
For Saylers they can feed apace
in weather faire or fogge,
And will not sticke (in hunger theirs)
to eate a barking dogge.
But now eche man they may reioyce
that Lady Ver is nere,
Now may they see with glimmering eyes
once Phœbus to appere:
How Estas he with comely grace
full trimly dooth display,
And howe that Tellus floorisheth
through ayde of lustie May:
In pleasant moneth of this (my frends)
eache man dooth ioy by kinde,
And euery man dooth practise what
were best to please his minde.
As Gaulfrid here (th' Italian Books
do shewe his name to be)
Dooth seeke and search in rotten boate
straunge countries for to see.
And comming to the lande of Grece,
where Turrets hye doo stande,
Where houses shining all of golde
be plast (as well I scande)
By chaunce, as fortune would it haue,
he entered in at one,
Where he found Barnarde le vayne
then sitting all alone:
A kinsman and a frend of his,
whom then he did not know:
The Gods them selues (I thinke forsoth)
they would it should be so.
Gaulfrydo he whose smirking lookes
and liuely chere at last,
Bewrayde the one t'other then
ere foure words they had past.
To see the ioy of louing friends
when they togither met,
Tho Nestors life twice tolde I had
I should them not forget.
The one imbrast, the other kist,
they wepe for ioy in place:
Gaulfrydo could not speake bicause
all smyred was his face,
With driueling drops of lukewarm teares
which trickled downe a pace
His paled face: his freend in deede
as fast did poure agayne
His dryry teares: incontinent
then sayde Barnard le vayne,
The day hath been, O coosin mine,
that freends we haue been both,
As we are now (for ought I know
and that we both were loth
The one the other to displease,
as reason wilde vs so,
Whilst Babes we wer, we went to schoole
together you do knowe,
What did I euer in my life
whereby that I your foe
Should counted be: or that I haue
not been as true to thee
As euer thou or any man
coulde euer be to me?
Let womens teares exiled be,
say to them all adewe.
Gal.
No, no, my freende, of forged teares
I thinke I haue but fewe,
I would to God that thou hadst been
but halfe so true to mee,
As I haue been in euery thing
a royall freend to thee:
Thou wouldest not haue hoysed vp
thy sayles to euery winde,
Not knowing I (poore wretched wight)
in what place thee to finde:
Nor yet thou wouldest once haue left
me in a countrey rude,
Among the rauening sort of woolues
which sought for to detrude
Me (seely wretch) from countrey mine,
whereas my mother bore
And kept me, from my cradle yong,
(hir greefe it was the more,)

Ne yet thou wouldest once haue made
thy loytering boy to pull
The vdder which doth guide the shippe,
or els to hall the skull
The which hath beaten foming seas
a thousand times twise tolde,
In Hyems ragged, gagged frosts
when it was bitter colde,
Thou little thoughtest on thy freend
when thou on hatches low
Didst sleepe thy fill, all for thine ease
it was, that I do know,
All voyde of care thou wast in pup,
alone there didst thou sit
Like prince on throne, the master he
belike did thee permit,
When mates of thine, ech one wer fayne,
to gather on a flocke,
Bicause that surging Seas did rise,
and tooke them to their cock:
Their little pretty frysking bote
which tottereth vp and downe,
In hope to finde some ease when as
they should espye the towne,
Wheras they might haue some refuge,
and succor for to saue
Their weeried corps, which only thing
it was that they did craue.
But when that darkned cloudes wer gone,
and all things els did cleere,
Then mate to mate eche other calde,
and sayd, ho mate what cheere?
And yf you be all well, and as
I hope you be, with speede
Set vp your sayles (thus do you say)
to go we had but neede?
Then euery man doth hale and pull
the Halliards all a row:
Beholde thy foresayle it is vp,
now Aulter do thou blow
A huffing gayle: and by and by
bicause thou woldst be gone,
The foretop and the mayne top sayle
thou placest euen anone:
Yet must thou haue thy spirit sayle out,
all onely to be blowne,
Thy Mysien yet must not be left
behinde, to well is knowne.
Thy roaring cannons and thy chens
be layde on euery side,
Yea bases, foulers, quarter slings
which often hath been tride:
Thy Fakens, Taucknets, minions all
a row thou hast them layde,
Caleuer and thy hargabus,
which lately hath been made
All onely for to keepe me from
thy rotten Oyster bote,
Though litile I haue sayde (my freend)
full well I could it note.
But for all that, thou seest how good
the Gods haue been to mee,
To let me once approch the coast
where as I might thee see.
Bar.
Alasse why dost thou me suspect
of such a haynous cryme,
It was not long of me (in faith)
that I went at this time,
Full sore agaynst my will it was
that I should leaue behinde
Me, thee, who as a Pithias
continually I finde:
It was not the cruell tyrant Turks
which only did vs chase,
From all along the fierie Seas
till we did come in place,
Where as a mate of ours did sound
foure hundred fadams deepe
In brackishe Seas: so at the laste
we chaunced for to creepe
To this same village towne, wheras
you founde me all alone:
Whereas I haue acquayntance small,
not being knowne of one.
But euery day since I came foorth
still thought I on thy name,
I thought vpon our countrey rude,
still praying for the same,
Bicause I knew thy blessed corps
had there his lodging place,
In hope agayne that thou woldst looke
my Picture on the face,
Which hangs in chamber thine bedeckt,
then wouldst thou haue in minde
(I would suppose) Barnarde le vayne,
which vnto thee did binde
With faith and truth, a louing freend,
and faithfull for to bee,
So long as that the gods should graunt
Osselly mine to see.
No sooner had Aurora come
but vp I would me hye
Into the hyest place of shippe,
and there I would discrie
The tumbling whales, the Dolphins huge
as I in Barke did stande.
If wishes would haue then preuaylde
I would haue been on lande,
At Brownbread crust with Galfrydo,
then for to haue the wine
That lay in ship (which Bacchus brewde)
or els the biskets fine.
Thus would I vewe and dayly thinke
that thou wouldst after hye,
Now would I thinke vnto my selfe
thy shippe for to espye.
But all for nought the longer I
did gaze in open ayre:
The farder still thou wast from me
so muche more was my care,
When as I had in memorie
our parents that be dead,
Our mothers kind which pampered vs
and long ago had fed
Both thee and me with milke so sweete,
then was I like a stone
Then was my hart euen like to burst
my senses they were gone,
My lights, my lungs, so vexed were,
that none had thought that I
Should euer haue skapt such trimbling fits
but presently should dy,
On salt sea flouds they minded all,
and purposely were bent,
To hang a warrant on my necke,
and streight for to haue sent
Me to the bote that Caron guides,
the ferry man of hell:
For they supposed that I would not
any longer with them dwell.
And yet for all these miseries
that I haue waltered in,
To charge me with vngratefulnesse
me thinke you do not lin:
But if thou beest a freend to me
as thou doest say thou art,
Seeme not to lay them to my charge,
but let them all depart
Quite from thy hart: behold, these words
he had no sooner spoke,
But for to worke him iniury
vile fortune dooth prouoke.
Now doth she turne hir tottering wheels
she looketh crabbed sowre,
Now dooth she bend hir cursed browes
now dooth she pout and loure,
Now may you see this fickle dame
the Camelions part to play.
How she will change in sundry formes
a thousand times a day,
How she doth play the wether cocke
that turns with euery winde,
To some she will be foolishe stout,
to other some as kinde:
O that she can so flatter men
with graunting their desire,
And will not suffer them to cleue
to that they do aspire.
To whome in all their lyfe almost
hir friendship doth she showe:
But when he thinkes him best of all,
hath then his ouerthrowe?
I pray you did she euer yet
aduaunce a man on earth,
Whiche wholly put his trust on hir
had not vntymely death?
Hath she not taken many men
on hye from glimmering gleame?
Did she not slay king Priams babes
and spoyle him of his realme?
Dooth she not play suche prety prankes
continually with some?
Yes that she doth: When that they thinke
theyr blessed state is come.
But see the chaunce that hapned nowe
euen in the selfe same streete
Where they did hoste, two enimies
at that same tyme did meete,
Who when they sawe eche other, gan
their shiuering blades to drawe:
And to be shorte, the one dyd thruste
the other through the mawe,
The guttes, the lungs, the intrayls all,
but streyght away he went
That didde the facte: But messengers
immediately were sent
With bilbow blades, and rusty billes,
to bidde him come and dine
In gayle, where as perchaunce he should
fynde little store of wine
For to digest the waightie boltes.
Thus came they in a route,
Tom with a clubbe, Dicke with a spitte,
twoo propre men and stoute.
They seeke as men should looke a hare,
to let the greedie hounde,
Haue now a snatche, and then a snatche
to bring hir to the grounde.
But all for nought, they founde him not
whiche onely did the facte:
In no place coulde they him espie,
but backe ageyne they packt,
Where as they sawe in myddest of streete
Galfrido looking out
From wyndowe hye (who maruelling
what made them so to shoute
And make a noyse (with cryes so shryll.)
they did him straight espie,
That he should be the murtherer,
some there began to trie:
Upon the which, they entred in,
the host they first espyde,
More bones they made not with him there,
both hand, and foote they tyed
Him seely man (without offence)
with halters good and strong,
Which fitter were for these same knaues
that did him open wrong:
Then vp they do ascend on hye
where as these two did walke,
They ment no gyle, they thought no hurt,
no suche thing did they talke,
They tooke them both, like seely lambs
in arme in arme they went
To prison strong, wheras their Oste
was fully that way bent.
Such comely persons to behold
as they along did go,
Would make a man as hard as flinte
to melt, my selfe I know:
But for to thinke what piteous lookes
they shewed as they went,
Agayne to see what smiling cheere
the one the other lent,
To see what wonderous changes was
betweene these troubled three,
Tho that I liude seuen hundred yeres
the like I should not see.
Assoone as they to prison were
committed one by one,
The multitude diminished,
then were they left alone
Among the rustie iangling chaynes
where vermin dooth abound
In dungeon deepe (where light as yet
some thinke they haue not found)
Where Todes do kepe, and adders dwell,
where as with vgly paw
And greedy corps, the serpent foule
in fetters he dooth gnaw
The seely soule which is bewrapt
in many tangled snares,
The simple man, whose troubled head
is fixt with many cares:
I thinke the foule infernall feends
not halfe so ill do dwell,
Nor they that dwell in Tartar deepe
inhabite suche a hell.
I thinke, not Tantal, Pelops sonne
so cruelly was paynde,
As these same three, the which my muse
already heere hath faynde:
Nor Titiōs (in iudgement mine)
did euer feele such payne,
Nor he that brought to mountaynes top
the stone that fell agayne,
Ne yet the tyred Byllides
that hales the buckets twayne
In drawing water, which returns,
as Poets they do fayne:
Tho Prometheus stands so still
At cruell pinching racke,
With hande and foote beset so wide
till all his bones do cracke.
Though these same troubled souls thēselus
suche spitefull payne endure,
Yet may they nought at all compare
with these (that I am sure)
For paynefull pangs: but Fame she hath
nowe sounded farre and neere
This miserable cursed chaunce:
but when that they did heare
Which wer their mates, the hollow sighes
yea euery man did fette,
The trickling drops of many teares
to shead they nothing lette:
They houle and cry full piteously,
and euermore they bande
That cruell cursed Esterne winde
which brought them to the lande.
They teare their herish mantels gray,
they pull in peeces fast,
Their gally breeches all a rowe,
they were so sore agast:
Who so had seene the Marriners
their seely flesh to teare,
Himselfe would thinke but that they had
been voyde of euery care:
They lost their senses all at once,
their faces all were pale
And wan, to see the fortune that
these men should come in gayle,
Not being yet one houre ago
since that they came on shore:
If by their harts they might haue come
I thinke they would haue tore
In peeces small, they were so vext
that instant present time,
That none had thought that euer they
the shrowdes agayne would clime:
Nor yet haue sayled away with barke,
they were in suche a case:
Some drew no breath, why? they wer dead
three houres in that place:
They were as wilde as hares that be
ybred in bushes thicke,
Or els thē Roe which hedges hye
to leape he dooth not sticke.
Thus are the Sea men troubled to
as well as other bee,
They feele as bitter pangs, or worse
as any of the three.
Yet reason somewhat taketh place,
and calleth backe agayne
These troubled soules which lately were
in miserable payne,
Their wits to them be now restorde,
they haue their memorie,
They do pretend to go and see
this wofull tragidie:
Where when they came in market place
they saw the gallow tree,
The scaffold where the iudges seat
appoynted was to bee,
The bar, wher they shuld plead their cause,
yf giltie they were found,
The Sargiants with the yeomens ayde
which stoode about them round,
Should lead them to the tree a crosse
the which the hangman made
The day afore, in hope that he
twise double should be payde
For this his worke, for he doth say
that time doth him prouoke,
That now the pigge is proffered
to holde vp straight the poke:
For what so euer that they be
that will not when they may,
The Prouerbe hath him tolde that when
he would he shall haue nay.
Now euery thing prouided was,
the iudge him selfe comes in,
The gayler he commaunded was
that he should neuer lin,
Till that the prisoners were brought,
their iudgement for to haue
Aright, which they them selues that time
most willingly did craue:
They came full weakly God doth know,
the one the other led,
They lookt as tho that Atrapos
had cut their fatall threed,
Their faces shewed as tho they had
lien in their graue a yeare,
To loke vpon them stedfastly
eache one did stand in feare,
So vgly was their looke when as
they came from dungeon deepe,
They were so faynt through feeblenesse
that they could scarsely creepe,
But by the stony walles, which would
not suffer them to fall,
Lest that perchaunce the stubborne bolts
their feeble legs might gall:
There might you see three women, that
were quicke with child in sound,
Two men, a boy, a mayde, there
starke dead that time was found:
Ye might beholde the Marriners
how they did tremble fast,
What feruent fayth they suffered
till these same three were past.
Ay me alas (quoth one) that I
should euer see the day,
Wo worth the time that I was borne
an other he can say:
The third he saide that he was curst
the worser was his lucke,
When as his nurse she gaue to him
hir puffed teat to sucke:
The fourth he said, I was bewitcht,
when first I handled knife,
I think my crooked armes wer curst
it did not rid my life.
What wicked fortune had we when
we scaped in the night,
(What made vs all to cry aloude,
now gallows clayme thy right)
When we wer almost drounde in
deepest Sea by Libia?
What euill chaunce had we to scape
the straights of Affrica?
Ther houls the ragged boy a mayne
with open throte a loude,
His voyce so shrill ascended straight
vnto the hyest cloude
That placed was in ayre, beset
with starres on euery side,
Or wher the glorious Phœbus runs
his course) so loude he cride,
With cares he was so nipt at hart,
that all things there he curst.
He liude not long, incontinent
amongst them all he burst.
Gaulfry do went before the Iudge
all feeble as he might,
Barnarde le Vayne trudged after fast,
he was not out of sight.
The Iayler led the inholder,
which was in shackle strong,
The quest did quit him by and by,
he taried there not long.
Of which his carefull wife was glad,
of mirth was all hir song,
The hangman held his head aside,
he thought they did him wrong.
Barnarde le vayne he pleaded harde.
it did vpon him lye,
That he was giltlesse of the deede
eche one began to crye:
The iudge himselfe could nothing finde,
ne could the rest that went
Upon that matter, harde to skanne,
but wholly they were bent
To sette him free: And as they did
who taried for to heare
Galfrydos case, like to a freende
as heere it dooth appeare.
Galfrydo he was called out
his iudgement for to know,
His hart was gone, he shaketh fast,
he trembleth as the dow,
To see the cruell lookes, the which
the Iudge did to him giue.
When Iupiter was driuen out
of heauen by cruell feare
Of Ziphoon, that gyant huge,
which did approche him neare:
At that same time, I meane, when as
full secretly he came
To Egipt, where in forme and shape,
was like vnto a ram:
Iuno she was made a Cowe,
Appollo was a crow,
They stoode not halfe so much in feare
as Galfryde I do know:
Nor yet Dianas buttocks went
so fast a pitte a patte,
When she was driuen out of heauen,
and then became a Catte:
Nor Venus, who doth dayly make
yong men hir birds to wish,
Was not so feard (as this our freend)
when she was made a fish:
Ne yet the mery Mercury
which often would haue playde
On Oten pipe, when Ibis he
a pretty birde was made.
They needed not once to haue left
the heauens for such a knaue:
No more this wight he needed not
to feare, which will not saue
Him selfe (as it doth seeme to me)
but graunteth to the fact:
And saide vnto the Iudge aloude,
I onely did the act.
At which his freend all in a maze,
began thus for to say:
Ye Patrons graue and wise; giue eare
to me I do you pray:
This man (O noble Senatours)
did neuer do the deede,
It was my selfe I do confesse,
no longer now you neede
To toyle and moyle in searching foorth
this matter, which is playne.

Gal.
O hold thy peace thou trustie freend,
thou speakest but in vayne,
It was euen I that did the deede,
if Iudges right they be,
Let this my freend go packe away,
the law must go on me:
Offender there must be but one,
all you do know the same
Afore you all, the murderer
my selfe I do proclayme.

Bar.
Not so my freend, but onely I
whose craysed corps with stroke,
In sunder quite, in midst of streete,
with bloodie sword I broke.

Gal.
I did the deede, yf that you meane
the fellow for to take.

Bar.
Thou didst not, wherof leaue of
thy forging tales to make.
O constant man that euer was,
thy fame will neuer dye,
O noble hart that dwels in brest
where such true loue doth lye.

At sodayne sight of this the Iudge
was wholly there amazde,
Then hurly burly did begin,
great rumors straight was raysde:
Then euery man would be a iudge,
and say that it was he
That did the deede: some verdits were
the other for to be.
But God the truest searcher of
the inwarde parts of man,
The mightie Iudge, the Lord of all
that possibly we can
Or may recite, with foultring tong
for his he dooth prouide.
When they be in their troubles great,
as heere it may be tride:
The murderer stood by the stage
whereas the iudges sate,
His conscience so prickt him there,
that vp aloft he gate
Afore them all, where rudely he
did draw his bloodie blade,
Where easely it might be seene
how it in blud was layde:
This vile and cankred sword (quoth he)
and I were at the fray,
I am the man (ye Iudges) that
did bring him to a bay,
I laide along his laysie corps,
I do it not denye,
And if it were to do agayne,
by God that sittes on hye,
I would it do: wherfore these men
haue suffered iniurie,
Abiding for my onely deede
suche cruell miserie.
Upon the which the iudges they
began a new assise,
And better for to thinke vpon
the matter they deuise:
The quest agayne begins a fresh
vpon these two to goe,
The standers by they giue good eare
the verdit for to knowe,
The foreman he doth bring it in,
he sheweth very playne
The matter whole: but to be sure
they are turnde backe agayne.
Yet once more they do come, wher as
they tolde the iudge that he
That last of all did come in place,
the murderer for to be.
The Iudge he did condemne him there,
the hangman he did watche,
He thought within him selfe that he
had caught a goodly catche.
Where when the people heard him say,
go hence the gallowes stayes,
Their wits in searching foorth the truth,
all there began to prayse.
The Iudges prayse doth flee abrode,
him euery man doth name,
In countrey, towne and villages
full rife is knowne his fame.
The foresaide Mariners reioyce,
their mates eche one be glad,
That these their heads had scapt so wel:
vpon the which they bad
The towns men with their gladsom wiues
their housholds whole and some,
To take their pleasures of the wine
if they would to them come,
Whereas their ship did lye, which brought
the claret, white and red,
Their bisket good, but mouldy cheese,
whereof they dayly fed.
Eche one attended to their willes,
they graunted their desire,
They clothe them selues full sumptuously,
they weare their best attyre:
The day is come, the pretty dames
which be so free and franke,
Do go so sagely on the way
by two and two a ranke,
Which seemed well, but yet they would
not bid vnto the feast
The Murderer which hanged was,
of whom they thought on least,
Which was of them an ouersight:
but if they him had bid,
He would haue made them answere none,
bicause that he had rid
But lately here, one winching iade,
which did him leaue behinde,
So that the right way to his home
he could not after finde:
But in his stead one Tibine came,
Amasina his wife,
His daughter fayre Charina, whome
they loued as theyr lyfe,
Who dyd surmount the virgins all
that euer was in Greece:
I thinke the goddes neuer made
a fayre or trimmer peece:
They coulde not, why? bycause the moulde
(whiche was with them so rare)
Them selues had lost: when first they made
hir rosiall colour fayre,
Hir princely corps, hir shoulders twayne,
hir stature long and tall:
Hir little head adorned was,
whiche ouerlooketh all:
With gorgious knackes of value greate
hir fingers to depaynt,
Apelles ours, or Xeuxes good,
she woulde make for to faynt,
The better of them bothe, if that
they were on earth alyue,
This to be done in euery poynt
mans witte can not contriue:
What though he tooke in hande to make
dame Venus in hir plight,
Yet durste he not set to his hande
with pensill for to wright
Or paynte at large this sumptuous dame
whome euery one dooth vewe:
Nay, if he shoulde, he myght perchaunce
his hastinesse soone rewe,
He woulde bee rapt in amours then
farre further with this dame,
Than euer he with Venus was,
if I may tell you playne.
But all this banket while: Bernard
hee cast a glimmering eye,
He was as glad as any man
when hir he myght espie.
Nowe all this whyle did Venus smyle,
and Cupide craftie knaue:
Sreight Bernards heart was stroke wt dart,
and suche a blowe he gaue,
As none but that Charina she:
Coulde helpe hym, I am sure,
No physickes arte, but she alone
was able for to cure
His pangs, his pangs, his fretting pangs
which vexed him so sore:
A worser plague hath chaunced now
than euer dyd before:
Nowe is he driuen to study harde,
he dares not to hir speake,
His bloody heart it was so full
that it was lyke to breake:
But for all that he kept them tacke
what euer that they did.
Till that the night with mantle blacke
the splendant light had hyd:
For all that Nox was comming on,
and Vesper after hyed,
A little whyle yet did they staye
bicause they had espied
The bycornd Moone: who was at hand
to light them on their way,
The minstrell he was called in
some pretty iest to play:
Then Robin hood was called for,
and malkin ere they went:
But Barnard euer to the mayde
a louing looke he lent,
And he would very fayne haue daunst
with hir, if that he durst:
As he was offering, Galfryd caught
hir by the hand at furst,
Who being in as farre as one
he was not to be blamde:
But this same dorre his freend abode,
of which he was ashamde,
There nought he said, but laught as fast
as any of them did:
When they had done, he toke the mayd,
a galliarde he did bid:
The minstrels play in comely sort,
he led hir twice about,
Then hir be capt, she cursie made
afore the open rout:
He trips about with sincopace,
he capers very quicke,
Full trimly there of seuen aleuen,
he sheweth a pretty tricke:
Eche man they did behold him there,
hir father likes it well:
Amasina hir mother saide
that he should beare the bell.
These words made glad the yongmās hart,
the minstrels left to play,
He gaue to hir the curtesie
that dauncers vse to pay.
They do depart, they hye them home,
they thanke them for their cheere,
The pretty maide she commeth on,
to them she draweth neere,
With cursies two or three she doth
giue thanks vnto them both:
But that she should them shortly see
at home she would be loth.
Now for hir gentle curtesie
a hundred thanks they giue:
Ere two dayes past they saide they would,
if they so long did liue.
Now all the way they haue no talke,
but of these louing twayne:
Eche one they ioyed that these two
were ridden of their payne.
An olde saide saw it is the which
is spoken of euery one,
The lesser greefe exiled is,
a greater comes anone.
These troubled two they go to bed,
where they on fansies fed,
The one he thinks vpon the mayde,
the other thinks in deed
That he was blest when he might
by any meanes deuise,
Once for to see with rouing sight
that dame before his eyes:
They turne and tosse in bed full oft,
from side to side agayne,
Now one would vp, the other downe,
but nought would ease their payne.
At last the Rauens did discry
Aurora to be neere,
Then vp they goe in comely wise
eche one puts on his geere:
They hyed to the wished place
where as the virgin lay,
Galfrydo saw she was not vp,
he went him selfe away,
Barnard le vayne he taryed still,
he saw that did him please,
He trudged home full merily,
his feuers did appease.
Galfrydo whippeth out anone,
he goeth to hir round:
Barnard he after hyes apace,
where that same time he found
Galfrydo talking soberly
vnto the mayde alone:
Barnard he thought his part was lost,
his loue away was blowne,
Of him he thought no count was made
he durst not shew his minde
To hir, who euer loude him well,
as by due proofe we finde:
He doubts she will not graunt to him
that which he would desire,
He durst not shew his inward greefe
which burneth as the fyre:
But to his chamber straight he goes
where vp and downe he walks
In torments great, in fretting pangs,
vnto him selfe he talkes:
O God (quoth he) what makes my head
to be so farre at square,
My wittes be almost rauished,
suche is my greeuous care.
But to asswage that dolefulnesse
that heauinesse of minde,
He taketh penne in hand to write
to hir, some ease to finde.
Trudge little letter, thou thinkest none yll,
Go do thy dutie, all things to fulfill.

Seignor Bernardo to his mystresse Charina.

Nowe it is made, yet dooth hee doubte
that this will not preuayle,
Then starts he vp in furie great,
and thus begins to rayle:
O palefaced, hellish, lumpish sow,
O grisly ghost, I say,
What ment the hilles they fell not on
my corps that present day
When first I saw that Tigresse vile,
that hart of marble stone,
That traytresse rude, with whom I thinke
my freend is now alone:
O that the heauens might fall on hir
which worketh me this wo:
I hope the earth will swallow hir,
or Boreas he will blo
Away with blasts that Lionesse,
that no man may hir see:
I would the raging foming Seas
they had hir for their fee.
Or that the mightie Iupiter
when he is in his yre,
Might throwe vpon hir thunder boltes,
or els consume with fire
Hir cursed corps, which hath in it
a poyson cankred hart:
Or that the foule infernall feendes
of hir might haue a part.
His host then being neere at hand,
heard him in raging wise,
Who it should be he marueyled,
he could not well deuise:
But vp he goes, where him he founde,
he asked him the cause,
He doth not let, but telleth all,
at it he doth not pause.
Feare not my guest (the good man said)
as yet she is not spead.
Bar.
If that she be, the diuell gnaw
hir beastly carren head.
But ere she be, I loke to haue
a recompense of payne,
And reason willes it so to be,
vnlesse she list to fayne:
But some respect for loue (I thinke)
to haue vnfayned parte,
And thinke it but a fit rewarde
for suche a good desart:
But I vnhappiest wight of all
haue spent my time in vayne,
In hope of succor at hir hands
Whilst other get the gayne.
As thirsty ground doth gape for thirst,
and swalloweth in the shoure,
Euen so do I poore Arpalus,
whom Cupides pangs deuoure,
I till my soyle with greeuous payne,
I lay the seede thereon,
And others come and reape the sheaues,
and laugh when I am gon:
Mine is the troublous winters toyle,
and theirs the sommers gayne,
The haruest falleth vnto his share
that felt no part of payne.
I fast whyle he doth feede apace,
I thirst while he doth drinke,
I mourne whilst he triumphs for ioy,
he swimmes whilst I do sinke:
He gathereth in the hoped gayne,
whilst I the losse endure,
He whole at hart, whilst I my greefe
by no meanes may recure,
He shroudes him selfe in pleasant shade,
I sitte in open sunne,
He leapes as lammes in lustie lays,
I lye as one vndone:
I would but hir enioy at will,
I craue that is debarde,
He hath (I say) who can haue more?
his seruice is preferde.
Thus I procure my wo (alas)
in framing him his ioy,
I seeke for to assalue my sore,
I breede my cheefe annoy.
As sheepe with woll be clad full thicke,
their masters haue the gayne,
And birds do buylde their nests in brakes,
and put them selues to payne,
Yet others haue the fruite you see
when that the birde is hatcht,
The nest remaynes, the birds are gone,
the chickens be dispatcht.
But I thinke it ordaynde in deede
by gryly goddes aboue,
That I should gape whilst others gayne
the guerdon of hir loue:
But sith that womans wicked will
is forgetfull of my wo,
And not the mightie goddes ordeinde
my destny to be so,
Then must I needes complayne apace,
and curse that cruell kinde,
That in requite of my good will
hath shewde hir selfe vnkinde.
But what euer be the cause God knows,
hereafter I intende
To faune on them that faune on me,
to bow when other bend:
This one abuse shall make with speede
me take the better keepe,
On whom I fixe my fansies fast,
with whom I wake or sleepe.

Host.
If so you do you do but well,
it will be for your best,

He sayde no more, but went away,
he lefte alone his guest.
Bernarde le Vayne who when he sawe
that no man coulds discrye
The acte whiche he pretended had,
when no man there was by,
He drewe a glistering blade at once,
he sette it to his harte:
Till he had done that rufull deede,
it dyd not once departe.
This doone, Galfrido he comes home,
a mery man was hee,
Charinas smyling smirkyng lookes
had made him so to bee.
Where when he came in chamber foule
his ioyes were layde asyde,
He sawe his frende lye all for deade,
the blaudy swoorde he spyde,
Which had bereaued him of breath,
the letter there he founde,
He redde it out, when hee had doone
he layde it on the grounde,
He tooke the blade, he after went
in darkenesse for to lye,
Since that his frende was gone afore,
he past not for to die.
When as the host he hearde of this,
hymselfe he went and hoong,
Charina shee from window hye,
hir comely corps she floong.
And Tibine too, when as he he heard
his daughter to be dead,
De stayed not, but with a knyfe
his hungry throate hee fead.
His wife, the mother to the mayde,
she ranne to riuer rounde,
Where as the crue of maryners
that instant tyme shee founde:
Shee tells to them these bloodie broyles
whiche she that tyme did see,
Howe blood, by blood, and death by turnes
in Greece nowe for to bee:
These wordes once spoke, shee leaped in
there shee gaue vp the ghoste.
The Maryners they hoysed vp
theyr sayle and left the coast.
Not twice two leagues they had not gone,
(as many men did thinke,)
But that the shippe vnluckily,
there presently did sinke.
In deepest sea, their graue was made
the louers lye in towne,
Where Tibine hath a place, besides
Charina hath a roome.
These will bee had in memorie
of all that haue them seene:
Nowe they be dead, let all men say,
God saue our noble Queene:
That she may vanquishe traytors all,
whiche seeketh hir decay:
The good and godly so I knowe
continually will pray.