The cõforte of louers | Page 6

was syluer / and in it a medowe grene?With an olyue tre full meruaylously besene
Two lyons of asure vpon euery syde?Couchande were truely besyde this olyue tree?A hande of stele wherin was wryten pryde?Dyde holde this ryall swerde in certaynte?A scrypture there was whiche sayd by subtylte?Of a grete lady hondred yeres ago?In the hande of stele this swerde was closed so
No maner persone / maye{s touch}e this swerde?But one persone / chosen by {go}d in dede?Of this ladyes kynred / n{ot} to be aferde?To touche this hande / his mater for to spede?And to vndo it / and take it for his mede?But yf that he / be not of the lygnage?The hand wyll sle hym / after olde vsage
This ryall swerde / that called is preprudence?Who can it gette / it hath these vertues thre?Fyrst to wynne ryght / without longe resystence?Secondly encreaseth / all trouth and amyte?Thyrdly of the berer through duplycyte?Be pryuely fals / to the ordre of chyualry?The swerdes crosse wyll crase / and shewe it openly
This shelde also / who so dooth it bere?Whiche of olde tyme / was called perceueraunce?Hath thre vertues / fyrst he nedeth not fere?Ony grete blodeshede / by wronge incombraunce?Secondly / it wolde make good apparaunce?By hete vnto hym / to gyue hym warnynge?To be redy / agayst his enmyes comynge
The thyrde is this / yf this calenge be ryghtfull?Neuer no swerde / shall through his harneys perce?Nor make hym blody / with woundes rufull?For he there strength / may ryghtfully reuerce?Yet moreouer / as I do well reherce?This ryall shelde / in what place it be borne?Shall soone be wonne / and shall not be forlorne
These thynges sene / to the thyrde myroure clere?I went anone / and in it loked ryght ofte?Where in my syght / dyde wonderly appere?The fyrmament / with the sonne all alofte?The wynde not grete / but blowynge fayre and softe?And besyde the sonne / I sawe a meruaylous sterre?With beames twayne / the whiche were cast aferre
The one turnynge towarde the sterre agayne?The other stretched ryght towarde Phebus?To beholde this sterre / I was somwhat fayne?But than I mused with herte full dolorous?Whyder it sygnyfyed thynges good or peryllous?Thus longe I studyed / tyll at the last I thought?What it sholde meane / as in my herte I sought
This sterre it sygnyfyeth the resynge of a knyght?The bowynge beame agayne so tournynge?Betokened rattonnes of them whiche by myght?Wolde hym resyst by theyr wronge resystynge?The beame towarde Phebus clerely shynynge?Betokened many meruaylous fyres grete?On them to lyght that wolde his purpose lete
In the fyre clerest of euery element?God hath appered vnto many a one?Inspyrynge them / with grete wytte refulgent?Who lyst to rede many dayes agone?Many one wryteth trouthe / yet c[om]forte hath he none?Wherfore I fere me / lyke a swarme of bees?Wylde fyre wyll lyght amonge a thousande pees
[P] Sepe expugnauerunt me a iuuentute mea:?et enim non potuerunt michi.
As the cantycles maketh good mencyon?They haue oft expugned me / syth my yonge age?Yet coude they haue me / in theyr domynyon?Though many a one / vnhappely do rage?They shall haue sorowe that shytte me in a cage?In a grete dyspyte of the holy goost?He maye them brenne / theyr calkynge is but loost
[P] Supra dorsum me[um] fabricauer[un]t peccatores:?prolongauer[un]t iniquitat[em] su[am].
Vpon my backe synners hath fabrysed?They haue prolonged theyr grete inyquyte?From daye to daye it is not my mynysshed?Wherfore for vengeaunce by grete extremyte?It cryeth aboue / now vnto the deyte?Whiche that his mynysters haue suffred so longe?To lyue in synne and euyll wayes wronge
Whan I had perceyued euery maner thynge?Of this ryall myrour / accordynge to effecte?Remembrynge the verses / of the olde saynge?Whiche in my mynde I dyde well coniecte?Than to the swerde / I thought to haue respecte?Ryght so I went / than at all auenture?Vnto the hande / that helde the swerde so sure
I felte the hande / of the stell so fyne?Me thought it quaked / the fyngers gan to stretche?I thought by that / I came than of the lyne?Of the grete lady / that fyrst the swerde dyde fetche?The swerdes pomell / I began to ketche?The hande swerued / but yet neuer the lesse?I helde them bothe / by excellent prowes
{An}d at the last / I felte the hande departe?The swerde I toke / with all my besynesse?So I subdued / all the magykes arte?And founde the scauberde / of meruaylous rychesse?After that I toke the shelde doune doubtlesse?Kyssynge the swerde / and the shelde ofte I wys?Thankynge god / the whiche was cause of this
Gladde was I than / of my ryall floure?Of my swerde and shelde / I reioyced also?It pacyfyed well / my inwarde doloure?But fro my ladyes beaute / my mynde myght not go?I loued her surely / for I loued