The cõforte of louers | Page 5

begyn / but he shall well fynysshe?Yf it be ryghtfull aftyr a true entent?Without resystence of grete impedyment
Of all nygromancy / and fals enchauntement?Agaynst hym wrought / he shall knowe the effecte?They can not blynde hym by cursed sentement?But he theyr werkes may ryght soone abiecte?No maner poyson he nedeth to susspecte?Neyther in mete not yet in ale ne wyne?Yf it beset well besyde a serpentyne
Yf he vntrue be vnto his gentyll lady?It wyll breke asondre / or crase than doubtlesse?It kepeth close / neuet the auoutry?This gentyll emeraude / this stone of rychesse?Hath many mo vertues / whiche I do not expresse?As saynt Iohan euangelyst doeth shewe openly?Who of his makynge lyst se the lapydary
When I had aduerted / in my remembraunce?All the maters / vnto the glasse I wente?Beholdynge it / by a longe cyrcumstaunce?Where as I dyde perceyue well verament?How preuy malyce / his messengers had sent?With subtyll engynes / to lye in a wayte?Yf that they coude take me with a bayte
I sawe there trappes / I sawe theyr gynnes all?I thanked god than / the swete holy goost?Whiche brought me hyder so well in specyall?Without whiche myrour / I had been but loost?In god aboue / the lorde of myghtes moost?I put my trust / for to withstande theyr euyll?Whiche dayly wrought / by the myght of the deuyll
I sawe theyr maysters blacke and tydyous?Made by the craft of many a nacyon?For to dystroye me / with strokes peryllous?To lette my Iournaye / as I make relacyon?Peryllous was the waye / and the cytuacyon?Full gladde was I of the vertu of this glasse?Whiche shewed me / what daungers I sholde passe
O all ye estates / of the hygh renowne?Beware these gynnes / beware theyr subtylte?The deuyll is grete / {and re}dy to cast downe?By calculacyon / of the {cur}sed cruelte?Of the subtyll beestes / full of inyquyte?In the olde tyme what snares were there sette?By fals calkynge / to dystroye lordes grete
Than after this to the yron gynne?I wente anone my wyte for to proue?By lytell and lytell / to vndo euery pynne?Thus in and out / I dyde the chayne ofte moue?Yet coude I not come / vnto myne aboue?Tyll at the last / I dyde the crafte espy?Vndoynge the pynnes / & chayne full meruaylously
Full gladde was I than / whan I had this floure?I kyst it oft / I behelde the coloure grene?It swaged ryght well / myn inwarde doloure?Myn eyes conforted / with the bryghtnes I wene?This ryall floure / this emeraude to shene?Whan I had goten it by my prudence?Ryght gladde I was / of fortunes premynence
O fortune sayd I / thou art ryght fauorable?For many a one / hath ben by symylytude?To wynne this floure / full gretely tendable?But they the subtylnes / myght nothynge exclude?Sythnen by wysdome / I dyde this fraude conclude?This floure / I sette nere my harte?For perfyte loue / of my fayre ladyes darte
So this accomplysshed / than incontynent?To the thyrde myrour I went dyrectly?Beholdynge aboute by good auysement?Seynge an ymage made full wonderly?Of the holy goost with flambes ardauntly?Vnder whiche I sawe with letters fayre and pure?In golde well grauen this meruaylous scrypture
Frome the fader and the sone my power procedynge?And of my selfe I god do ryght ofte inspyre?Dyuers creatures with spyrytuall knowynge?Inuysyble by dyuyne flambynge fyre?The eyes I entre not it is not my desyre?& am not coloured of the terrestryall grounde?Nor entre the eres for I do not sounde
Nor by the nose for I am not myxte?With ony maner of the ayry influence?Nor by the mouthe for I am not fyxte?For to be swalowed by erthly experyence?Nor yet by felynge or touchynge exystence?My power dyuyne can not be palpable?For I myselfe am no thynge manyable
Yet vysyble I may be by good apparaunce?As in the lykenesse of a doue vnto chryste Ihesu?At his baptysme I dyde it with good countenaunce?To shewe our godhed to be hygh and true?And at his transfyguracyon our power to ensue?In a fayre cloude with clere rayes radyaunt?Ouer hym that I was well apparaunt
Also truely yet at the feest of pentycoste?To the sones moder and the apostelles all?In tonges of fyre as god of myghtes moost?I dyde appere shewynge my power spyrytuall?Enflambynge theyr hertes by vertues supernall?Whiche after that by languages well?In euery regyon coude pronounce the gospell
And where I lyst by power dyuyne?I do enspyre oft causynge grete prophecy?Whiche is mysconstrued whan some do enclyne?Thynkynge by theyr wytte to perceyue it lyghtly?Or elles calke with deuylles the trouth to sertyfy?Whiche contrary be to all true saynge?For deuylles be subtyll and alwaye lyenge
Whan I had aduerted with my dylygence?All the scrypture I sawe me besyde?H[an]ge a fayre swerde & shelde of meruailous excell[en]ce?Whiche to beholde I dyde than abyde?To blase the armes I dyde well prouyde?The felde