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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Morpheus vanysshed thauctor speketh in ths wyse |
 | The Castell of Pleasure |  |
Morpheus vanysshed thauctor speketh in ths wyse
The daye was comyn and kest a dymme lyght
The sonne under clowdes by weder tempestyouse
Oryble thonder & lyghtnynge sore troubled my syght
And therwith a betynge shour a storme rygorouse
Waked me out of slepe it was so Ieoperdouse
And where as I wened I had be waked with mynstrelsy
It was contrary whiche made my mynde so troublouse
That I coude no waye rest neyther syth stande ne lye
Than I remembred all my dreme and fantasy
Sayenge for the remembraunce of this sodayne chaunge
I entende to wryte the maner herof ryght shortly
That folkes may consyder this worlde is but straunge
The sonne under clowdes by weder tempestyouse
Oryble thonder & lyghtnynge sore troubled my syght
And therwith a betynge shour a storme rygorouse
Waked me out of slepe it was so Ieoperdouse
And where as I wened I had be waked with mynstrelsy
It was contrary whiche made my mynde so troublouse
That I coude no waye rest neyther syth stande ne lye
Than I remembred all my dreme and fantasy
Sayenge for the remembraunce of this sodayne chaunge
I entende to wryte the maner herof ryght shortly
That folkes may consyder this worlde is but straunge
Yet to the wyndowe I walked a softe pace
Ofte syghynge and sobbynge with an heuy herte
To se where I coude espye of pleasure the palace
Or of thynhabytauntes therof perceyue ony parte
Eyther conforte or kyndenes whiche made me to smerte
Fantasy or eloquence whiche dyd desyre forder
Pyte with Beaute was whan I dyd thus departe
I loked for theyr places where they stode in order
Yf I coude se Credence walkynge in ony broder
I loked for all these yet I sawe none alas
Whiche brought to mynde wordes of salomon of wysdome recorder
Vauitas vanitatum & omnia mundi vanitas.
Ofte syghynge and sobbynge with an heuy herte
To se where I coude espye of pleasure the palace
Or of thynhabytauntes therof perceyue ony parte
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Fantasy or eloquence whiche dyd desyre forder
Pyte with Beaute was whan I dyd thus departe
I loked for theyr places where they stode in order
Yf I coude se Credence walkynge in ony broder
I loked for all these yet I sawe none alas
Whiche brought to mynde wordes of salomon of wysdome recorder
Vauitas vanitatum & omnia mundi vanitas.
Where is Sampson for all his grete strength
Or where is the sage Salomon for all his prudence
Dethe hath and wyll deuoure all at lenth
For where is ulysses for all his eloquence
Where became Crassus for his ryches and opulence
Where is lucres for all her chastyte
Where is alexander whiche subdued to his obedyence
Moche of the worlde by his marcyalyte
Where is Tully whiche had pryncypalyte
Ouer all oratours in parfyte rethoryke
Where be all the .iiii. doctours of dyuynyte
Where is arystotyll for all his phylosophy and logyke.
Or where is the sage Salomon for all his prudence
Dethe hath and wyll deuoure all at lenth
For where is ulysses for all his eloquence
Where became Crassus for his ryches and opulence
Where is lucres for all her chastyte
Where is alexander whiche subdued to his obedyence
Moche of the worlde by his marcyalyte
Where is Tully whiche had pryncypalyte
Ouer all oratours in parfyte rethoryke
Where be all the .iiii. doctours of dyuynyte
Where is arystotyll for all his phylosophy and logyke.
Be not all these departed frome this transytory lyfe
Yet theym to dyuers places our creatour dyd name
With egall Iugement without debate or stryfe
Accordynge to theyr merytes he dyd rewarde or blame
Therfore for your soules helth use vertue & drede shame
And as to the worlde laboure alway for loue
That ye may perpetually reyne in good fame
It shall be to you all ryches aboue
As by experyence oftymes it doeth proue
Of suche as haue had subgets without loue them to drede
From they be of power than they do theyr mynde remoue
And so theyr maysters fayle whan they haue nede
Yet theym to dyuers places our creatour dyd name
With egall Iugement without debate or stryfe
Accordynge to theyr merytes he dyd rewarde or blame
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And as to the worlde laboure alway for loue
That ye may perpetually reyne in good fame
It shall be to you all ryches aboue
As by experyence oftymes it doeth proue
Of suche as haue had subgets without loue them to drede
From they be of power than they do theyr mynde remoue
And so theyr maysters fayle whan they haue nede
And ye that wyll be louers of ladyes amyable
Ye maye not be sleuthfull but about theym dylygent
And alwaye to theyr pleasures ye must be agreable
Yf ye intende theyr myndes to content
But fyrst fyxe your mynde there as it may be well spent
Be secrete and stedfast without mutabylyte
Be bolde and couragyous fulfyll theyr commaundement
With a quycke and hasty spede as ye by possybylyte
May or can nothynge is better than agylyte
With contynuall presence nothynge can helpe more
For Ouyde sayth els your loue shall not rest in tranquylyte
Vanescetque absens et nouus intrat amor.
Ye maye not be sleuthfull but about theym dylygent
And alwaye to theyr pleasures ye must be agreable
Yf ye intende theyr myndes to content
But fyrst fyxe your mynde there as it may be well spent
Be secrete and stedfast without mutabylyte
Be bolde and couragyous fulfyll theyr commaundement
With a quycke and hasty spede as ye by possybylyte
May or can nothynge is better than agylyte
With contynuall presence nothynge can helpe more
For Ouyde sayth els your loue shall not rest in tranquylyte
Vanescetque absens et nouus intrat amor.
These reasons reuolued in my remembraunce
Whan that sorowe was somthynge modefyed
Than grete trouble my mynde dyde enhaunce
What sholde be cause that I had be occupyed
With this dreme yet shortly I aspyed
That this amerous study of Cupyde and Phebus
Was cause therof whiche coude not be denyed
Therfore in mynde I dyd playnly duscus
That I wolde study nomore and specyally thus
I wolde muse no more in the euenynge so late
But conclude this shortly in wordes compendyous
Lest I sholde be as I was erste in myserable estate
Whan that sorowe was somthynge modefyed
Than grete trouble my mynde dyde enhaunce
What sholde be cause that I had be occupyed
With this dreme yet shortly I aspyed
That this amerous study of Cupyde and Phebus
Was cause therof whiche coude not be denyed
Therfore in mynde I dyd playnly duscus
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I wolde muse no more in the euenynge so late
But conclude this shortly in wordes compendyous
Lest I sholde be as I was erste in myserable estate
Volunte ie ay mais ie ne veulx mon cuer chaunger.
| The Castell of Pleasure | |