The cõforte of louers | Page 3

the hous for to swepe?Nought was theyr besom / I holde it set on fyre?The inwarde wo in to my herte dyde crepe?To god aboue / I made my hole desyre?Saynge o good lorde of heuenly empyre?Let the mount with all braunches swete?Entyerly growe / god gyue vs grace to mete
Soma had wened for to haue made an ende?Of my bokes / before he hadde begynnynge?But all vayne they dyde so comprehende?Whan they of them lacke vnderstandynge?Vaynfull was & is theyr mysse contryuynge?Who lyst the trouthe of them for to enfuse?For the reed and whyte they wryte full true
Well sayd this lady I haue perceueraunce?Of our bokes / whiche that ye endyte?So as ye saye is all the cyrcumstaunce?Vnto the hyghe pleasure of the reed and the whyte?Which hath your trouth / and wyll you acquyte?Doubte ye no thynge / but at the last ye maye?Of your true mynde yet fynde a Ioyfull daye
Forsothe I sayd / dysdayne and straungenesse?I fere them sore / and fals reporte?I wolde they were / in warde all doutles?Lyke as I was / without conforte?Than wolde I thynke / my lady wolde resorte?Vnto dame mercy / my payne to consyder?God knoweth all / I wolde we were togyder
Though in meane season / of grene grasse I fede?It wolde not greue me / yf she knewe my heuynesse?My trauayle is grete / I praye god be my spede?To resyste the myght / of myn enmyes subtylnesse?Whiche awayte to take / me by theyr doublenesse?My wysdome is lytel / yet god may graunt me grace?Them to defende / in euery maner of cace
Lerne this she sayd / yf that you can by wytte?Of foes make frendes / they wyll be to you sure?yf that theyr frendshyp / be vnto you knytte?It is oft stedfast / and wyll longe endure?yf alwaye malyce / they wyll put in vre?No doubte it is / than god so hyght and stronge?Ful meruaylously / wyl soone reuenge theyr wronge
And now she sayd come on your waye with me?Unto a goodly toure whiche is solacyous?Beholde it yonder / full of felycyte?Quadrant it was / me thought full meruaylous?With golden turrettes / gaye and gloryous?Gargayled with greyho[un]des / and with many lyons?Made of fyne golde / with dyuers sondry dragons
The wyndowes byrall / without resplendysshaunt?The fayre yuery / coloured with grene?And all aboute there was dependaunt?Grete gargeyles of golde / full meruaylously besene?Neuer was made / a fayrer place I wene?The ryght excellent lady toke her intresse?Ryght so dyde I / by meruaylous swetnesse
Whan we came in / I dyde aboute beholde?The goodly temple / with pynacles vp sette?Wherin were ymages / of kynges all of golde?With dyuers scryptures / without ony lette?Aloft the roofe / were emeraudes full grette?Set in fyne golde / with amyable rudyes?Endented with dyamondes / and mayn turkyes
The wyndowes hystoried / with many noble kynges?The pyllers Iasper / dyuersed with asure?By pendaunt penacles / of many noble rynges?The pauement calcedony / beynge fayre and sure?The aras golde / with the story pure?Of the syche of thebes / with actes auenturous?Of ryght noble knyghtes / hardy and chyualrous
Than sayd this lady / I must now go hence?Passe ye tyme here / accordynge to your lykynge?It maye fortune / your lady of excellence?Wyll passe her tyme here / soone by walkynge?Than maye she se / your dolefull mournynge?And fare ye well / I maye no lenger tary?Marke well my lesson / and from it do not vary
Whan she was gone / the temple all alonge?I went my selfe / with syghtes grete and feruent?Alas I sayd / with inwarde paynes stronge?My herte doth blede / now all to torne and rent?For lacke of conforte / my herte is almost spent?O meruelo[us] fortune / which hast [in] loue me brought?Where is my conforte / that I so longe haue sought
O wonderfull loue / whiche fell vnto my lotte?O loue ryght clene / without ony thought vntrue?Syth thy fyrst louynge / not blemyssed with spotte?But euermore / the falseshede to extue?O dolorous payne / whiche doste renue?O pyteous herte / where is the helthe and boote?Of thy lady / that perst the at the roote
What thynge is loue / that causeth suche turment?From whens cometh it / me thynke it is good questy[on]?Yf it be nature / from nature it is sent?Loue maye come of kynde by true affeccyon?Loue may appetyte / by naturall eleccyon?Than must loue nedes be / I perceyue it in mynde?A thynge fyrst gyuen / by the god of kynde
Alas o nature / why mayst not thou truely?Cause my lady loue / as thou hast me constrayned?Hath she power to domyne the vtterly?Why mayst not thou / cause her {be} somwhat payned?With natures moeuynge / for lou{e is} not fayned?Alas for sorowe / why madest th{ou h}er so