The Disguising at Heord | Page 5

was cleped Tybot Tapister.?To brawle and broyle she nad no maner fer,?To thakke his pilche stoundemel nowe and thanne?Thikker thane Thome koude clowten any panne.
Nexst Colle Tyler, ful hevy of his cheer,?Compleynethe on Phelyce his wyff the wafurer?Al his bred with sugre nys not baake,?Yit on his cheekis some tyme he hathe a caake?So hoot and nuwe, or he can taken heede,?That his heres glowe verray reede [130]?For a medecyne whane the forst is colde,?Makyng his teethe to ratle that beon oolde.
This is the compleynt that theos dotardes oolde?Make on theyre wyves that beon so stoute and bolde,?Theos holy martirs preued ful pacyent,?Lowly beseching, in al hir best entent,?Vnto youre noble ryal magestee,?To graunte hem fraunchyse and also liberte?Sith they beothe fetird and bounden in maryage,?A saufconduct to sauf him frome damage. [140]?Eeke vnder support of youre hyeghe renoun?Graunt hem also a proteccyoun.
Conquest of wyves is rone thoroughe this lande,?Cleyming of Right to haue the hyegher hande.?But if you list, of youre Regallye,?The olde testament for to modefye,?And that yee list asselen theyre request?That theos poure husbandes might lyf in rest,?And that theyre wyves in theyre felle might?Wol medle amonge mercy with theyre right. [150]?For it came neuer of nature ne raysoun?A lyonesse toppresse the lyoun,?Ner a wolfesse for al hir thyraunye?Ouer the wolf to haven the maystrye.?Ther beon nowe wolfesses moo thane twoo or three?The bookys recorde, wheeche tht yonder bee.?Seothe to this mater of mercy and of grace,?And or thees dotardes parte out of this place,?Vpon theyre compleynt to shape remedye,?Or they beo likly to stande in iupardye. [160]?It is no game with wyves for to pleye,?But for foolis, that gif no force to deye.
Takethe heed of thaunswer of the wyves.
Touching the substance of this hyeghe discorde,?We six wyves : beon ful of oon acorde,?Yif worde and chyding may vs not avaylle?We wol darrein it in chaumpcloos by bataylle,?Iupart oure right laate or ellys raathe.?And for oure partye, the worthy Wyff of Bathe?Cane shewe statutes moo than six of seven?Howe wyves make hir housbandes wynne heven, [170]?Maugre the feonde and al his vyolence.?For theyre vertu of parfyte pacyence?Partenethe not to wyves nowe adayes,?Sauf on theyre housbandes for to make assayes.?Ther pacyence was buryed long agoo,?Gresyldes story recordethe pleinly soo.
It longethe to vs to clappen as a mylle,?No counseyle keepe, but the trouth oute telle.?We beo not borne by hevenly influence?Of oure nature to keepe vs in sylence. [180]?For this is no doute, euery prudent wyff?Hathe redy aunswere in al suche maner stryff,?Thoughe theos dotardes, with theyre dokked berdes?Which strowtethe out as they were made of herdes,?Haue ageyn hus a gret quarell nowe sette.?I trowe the bakoun was neuer of hem fette?Awaye at Dounmowe in the Pryorye.?They weene of vs to haue ay the maystrye.?Ellas theos fooles let hem aunswere here to,?Whoo cane hem wasshe, who can hem wring alsoo, [190] Wryng hem, yee wryng, so als god vs speed,?Til that some tyme we make hir nases bleed,?And sowe hir cloothes whane they beothe to rent,?And clowte hir bakkes til some of vs beo shent.?Loo yit theos fooles, god gyf hem sory chaunce,?Wolde sette hir wyves vnder gouuernaunce,?Make vs to hem for to lowte lowe:?We knowe to weel the bent of Iackys bowe.?Al that we clayme, we clayme it but of right.?Yif they say nay let preve it out by ffight. [200] We wil vs grounde not vpon womanhede.?Fy on hem, cowardes. When hit komethe to nede,?We clayme maystrye by prescripcyoun,?Be long tytle of successyoun?Frome wyff to wyff, which we wol not leese.?Men may weel gruchche, but they shal not cheese.?Custume is vs for nature and vsaunce?To set oure housbandes lyf in gret noysaunce.?Humbelly byseching nowe at oon worde?Vn to oure liege, and moost souerein lord, [210]?Vs to defende of his regallye,?And of his grace susteenen oure partye,?Requering the statuyt of olde antiquytee?That in youre tyme it may confermed bee.
The complaynte of the lewed housbandes wt the cruwell aunswers of theyre wyves herde, the kyng yivethe ther vpon sentence and iugement.
This noble Prynce, moost royal of estate,?Having an eyeghe to this mortal debate,?First aduerting of ful hyeghe prudence,?Wil vnavysed gyve here no sentence?With oute counseylle of haste to procede?By sodeyne doome, for he takythe heede [220]?To eyther partye as iuge indifferent,?Seing the paryll of hasty iugement.?Pourposithe him in this contynude stryffe?To gif no sentence ther of diffynytyff?Til ther beo made examynacyoun?Of other partye, and inquysicyoun.?He considerethe, and makethe Raysoun his guyde,?As egal iuge enclyning to noo syde.?Not with standing, he hathe compassyoun?Of the poure housbandes trybulacyoun, [230]?So afft arrested with theyre wyves rokkes?Which of theyre distaves haue so many knokkes,?Peysing also in his regallye?The lawe tht wymmen allegge for theyre partye,?Custume, Nature and eeke prescripcyoun,?Statuyt vsed by confirmacyoun,?Processe and daate of tyme oute of mynde,?Recorde of Cronycles, witnesse of hir kuynde.?Wher fore the Kyng wol al this nexst yeere?That