The Fyftene Loyes Of Maryage Poem by Anonymous Olde English

Somer passed/and wynter well begone
The dayes shorte/the darke nyghtes longe
Haue taken season/and brynghtnes of the sonne
Is lytell sene/and small byrdes songe
Seldon is herde/in feldes or wodes ronge
All strength and ventue/of trees and herbes sote
Dyscendynge be/from croppe in to the rote


And euery creature by course of kynde
For socoure draweth to that countre and place
Where for a tyme/they may purchace and fynde
Conforte and rest/abydynge after grace
That clere Appolo with bryghtnes of his face
Wyll sende/whan lusty ver shall come to towne
And gyue the grounde/of grene a goodly gowne


And Flora goddesse bothe of whyte and grene
Her mantell large/ouer all the erthe shall sprede
Shewynge her selfe/apparayled lyke a quene
As well in feldes/wodes/as in mede
Hauynge so ryche a croune vpon her hede
The whiche of floures/shall be so fayre and bryght
That all the worlde/shall take therof a lyght


So now it is/of late I was desyred
Out of the trenche to drawe a lytell boke
Of .xv. Ioyes/of whiche though I were hyred
I can not tell/and yet I vndertoke
This entrepryse/with a full pyteous loke
Remembrynge well/the case that stode in
Lyuynge in hope/this wynter to begyn


Some Ioyes to fynde that be in maryage
For in my youth/yet neuer acquayntaunce
Had of them but now in myn olde aege
I trust my selfe/to forther and auaunce
If that in me/there lacke no suffysaunce
Whiche may dyspleasyr/clerely set a parte
I wante but all/that longeth to that arte


yet wyll I speke/though I may do no more
Fully purposynge/in all these Ioyes to trete
Accordynge to my purpose made to fore
All be it so/I can not well forgete
The payne/trauayle/besynes and hete
That some men haue after they wedded be
Because theyr wyues/want humylyte


Who shall I pray/to helpe me to endyte
Cupyde or Uenus/whiche haue me in dysdayne
And for my feblenes/in grete dyspyte
For yeres passed/may not retorne agayne
Now may I speke/and shewe in wordes playne
Whan youth is gone/and comen is stoupynge age
Then worldly Ioyes/must go on pylgrymage


If I sholde praye/vnto ymeneus
The god of weddynge/to helpe me in this charge
Then wyll he bydde me go to Morpleus
The god of slepe/for he hath wayes large
Whiche with his rodde of leed dooth stere his barge
To brynge forthe age/vnto his slepy caue
Pray hym of rest/and nothynge elles craue


I knowe ryght well/it is but vanyte
All worldly Ioye/medled with bytternes
Therfore these fayned goddes I lete them be
And me betake to god/whose stedfastnes
May neuer fayle/neyther his sothfastnes
Besechynge hym/that for his moders sake
He wyll me teche his lytell boke to make


And with good wyll I shall me soone apply
This treatyse out of frenche to translate
Of .xv. Ioyes/and yf I myght therby
Purchace but one/my selfe though it be late
I wolde be gladde/for olde paynes I hate
Trustyge to Ioye/now somwhat in myn aege
As dooth a byrde that syngeth in a cage


Now to the effecte of this translacyon
With grete desyre shortly well I procede
But speke I must/by protestacyon
Touchynge this mater/or elles gode forbede
Whome I beseche lowely to be my spede
Praynge also/eche other maner wyght
Take no dyspleasure with my wordes lyght


Here endeth the prologue of the translatoure.

And the prohemye of the auctour begynneth.
Myn auctour wryteth in this prohemye
That many men/haue trauayled here tofore
To shewe by reason and auctoryte
That it is grete wytte/and wysdome more
For euery maner wyght/of woman bore
To lyue in fraunchyse/at his lyberte
Than seruaunt to hym selfe/and thrall to be


Without constraynt/but of his neclygence
His wyll to folowe/and his vnclene delyte
As lusty folke in theyr adolescence
Haue suche desyre/and so grete appetyte
On Uenus brydle/for to champe and byte
Tyll they with loue be stryken to the herte
Wherby full/oft they suffre paynes smerte


Unto whose reason/and opynyon
It may be sayd/and answered thus agayne
Man hath no good wytte ne entencyon
In his yonge tyme/whan nature dooth constrayne
Sauynge in Ioyes/and delytes vayne
Of this frayle worlde vnsure and transytory
None other thynge is in his memory


As thus whan men in youth couragyous
With frewyll endewed and lustynes
Of theyr desyre/and mynde outragyous
Withouten nede/but of theyr folysshenes
Frome wele to wo/frome Ioye to heuynes
Conuey them selfe/from all theyr lyberte
Nothynge content with theyr felycyte


For where as they may frely ryde or go
And at theyr choyse/dysporte them ouer all
I you ensure these yonge men wyll not so
Whan they leest wene/than sodanly they fall
And vnconstrayned make theyr bodyes thrall
Lyke to a wyght that in to pryson depe
Without cause/all hastely dooth crepe


So do they oft for lacke of kyndely wytte
And whan they be within this pryson strayte
The gayler cometh and fast the dore dooth shytte
Whiche is of yren stronge/and in a wayte
Helyeth oft/for drede that thrugh desayte
By nyght or day some sholde escape out
Ryght besyly he pryeth all about


He barreth dores/and maketh sure all the lockes
The stronge boltes/the fettres and the chayne
He sercheth well/the holes and the stockes
That wo be they/that lyeth in the payne
And out therof/they shall not go agayne
But euer endure/in wepynge care and sorowe
For good ne prayer/shall them neuer borowe


And specyally men may call hym assoted
Ferre frome reason/of wysdome desolate
That thus his tyme mysse vsed hath and doted
Whan he had herde/suche prysoners but late
Wepynge waylynge/and with them selfe debate
Lyenge in pryson/as he hath passed by
And put hym selfe therin so folysshely


This auctour sayth/by cause mankynde delyteth
Alway to haue fraunchyse and lyberte
Without the whiche/nature of man dyspyteth
Ryght thus in playne wordes speketh he
That many lordes grete/the whiche haue be
And lordshyppes haue be loste and ouerthrowe
For takynge fredomes frome theyr subgets lowe


He sheweth eke in maner semblable
That grete cytees/with many an other toune
And comyn people of mynde vnreasonable
Haue ben dystroyed/and sodaynly cast doune
Agaynst theyr prynces/takynge opynyon
Desyrynge fredomes/mo than here tofore
Theyr elders had/and thus they haue be lore


By reason wherof/batayles grete and werre
Haue ben/and many folkes also slayne
Syth Ihesus deyed/was neuer thynge bought derre
Whan poore subgettes on foly wyll pretayne
Agaynst theyr prynce/or elles theyr souerayne
To moue maters/not beynge obedynge
Suche by the lawe ben execute and shent


Somtyme the noble realme and men of Fraunce
Exempte were/and vtterly made fre
By theyr grete/prowes and valyaunce
Of the emperours/of Rome the cyte
As of trybutes/for whiche batayles haue be
Betwene them/and the Romayns longe ago
In whiche dayes I fynde it happed so


Upon a tyme/for cause that they ne were
Of fraunce in puyssaunce/able to withstonde
The grete army and the myghty powere
Of an emperour entred in theyr londe
But for as moche/as they ne wolde be bonde
Them were leuer go from that regyon
Than to remayne vnder subgeccyon


Seruynge this emperour/and trybute pay
So of hygh courage/and theyr grete nobles
All sodaynly/these nobles wente away
Conquerynge coutrees/suche was theyr worthynes
And afterwarde retorned neuertheles
Home to theyr lande/in grete prosperyte
Whiche they tyll now haue holde in lyberte


Unto theyr owne vse/prouffyte and auayle
Wherfore folkes of many a nacyon
Lyuynge in seruage/constreyned with trauayle
Desyred to haue theyr habytacyon
In fraunce/and there vnder domynacyon
To lyue in wele/lyberte/and rest
Wherby it grewe/somtyme the noblest


Realme of the worlde/that knowen were or founde.
Moost fayre in buyldynge/and inhabyte best
The whiche in treasure/and scyence dyde habounde
Then for asmoche/as they be fre at leest
Prudent in fayth/in lyuynge holyest
They sholde theyr subgets/in frauchyse kepe & vse
After theyr lawe/and neuer to refuse


Ageynst all trouthe/and inconuenyent
It is certayne/and nothynge charytable
God knoweth well/the lorde omnypotent
A man to haue/a custome reasonable
Onely for hym selfe/ryght prouffytable
And for his neyghboure/vse it other wyse
Suche vsage sholde/all well dysposed men dyspyse


Herof it groweth that lyberte is lost
In people voyde/of reason and scyence
And thus vyces and synnes reygneth most
Some gyue to vertues lytell reuerence
Wherin to god/do they ryght grete offence
The comyn wele/in generalyte
All men sholde loue of perfyte charyte


Why it is thus/a man may reason make
Who loueth not his wele pertyculerly
Hath but a lytell wytte I vndertake
Whan he may haue a prouffyte syngulerly
Hurtynge none other creature therby
And wyll not helpe hym selfe whan he so may
But wylfully dooth cast his grace away


A fole is he/that wyttynge wyll go
Into a caue/a dyche/or elles a pytte
Whiche is aboue/bothe narowe and strayte also
And all within/full wyde and depe is it
So that whan he therin/is fall and shytte
Out may he not/for there he must abyde
As wylde bestes do in forestes syde


Trapped and taken/ryght so this crature
In lyke wyse/thrugh his owne neclygence
Is in the dyche/where as he must endure
Lyke as these bestes/whiche gladly wolde go thens
Sekynge the wayes with all theyr delygence
Out to auoyde/but so it wyll not be
Tyme is not then/forth of the dyche to fle


Thus one may say/and therupon conclude
By suche as in to maryage be brought
And herupon to make a symylytude
Unto the fysshe whiche hath his pasture sought
And in a lepe/that is of twygges wrought
Is take/and out can not escape ne twynne
But euer dwell/and tary styll therinne


The fysshe that swymmeth in the ryuer clere
As it shall fall hym ofte by aduenture
To rayle aboute/in places here and there
Fyndeth this lepe/the whiche withoute mesure
Beholdeth he with all his besy cure
And he therin/the fysshes and the bayte
Dooth se/supposynge well in his consayte


They be in Ioye and pleasure at theyr lust
And all aboute the lepe he gooth rounde
With grete desyre/hauynge a veray trust
To come to them/and whan that he hath founde
The entre/in he gooth gladde and Iocounde
And to the shynynge bayte/he hyeth faste
Wherof anone/he taketh his repaste


To go agayne/he thynketh but a Iape
Forthe of the lepe/assaynge besyly
A way to fynde/how he therout may scape
And thens departe/to other company
He boreth with his byll all hastely
His besynes/and laboure is in waste
Abyde a whyle/he shall for all his haste


Therin to dwell in wo and heuynes
And where as he hath demed certaynly
Afore to haue had Ioye/and lustynes
There shall he passe his tyme ryght heuely
By men it falleth thus moost comenly
That put them in to maryage all day
Experyence wyll wytnesse as I say


Though it so be/that folkes se before
These wedded men/within the lepe enclosed
In poynt to droune & drenche/yet not therfore
Wyll they forbere/ne tyll they be innosed
As houndes be of bones/it is supposed
There is not one/by other can be ware
Tyll they be take/and holden in the snare


Thus what by foly/fortune or destene
A man may se the people euery day
Demeane themselfe/forsakynge lyberte
And shortely after that repenteth they
Desyrynge it to haue/but they ne may
At ony tyme/vnto suche grace attayne
And all to late/for them is to complayne


Moche more herof/myn auctoure dooth declare
In his prologue/or that he wyll begyn
To shewe these .xv. Ioyes/but I must spare
By losse of tyme/there is nothynge to wynne
But pouerte/vnthryftynes/and synne
Wherfore in wordes rude to make an ende
And of these Ioyes to wryte now I entende


Some men do call these Ioyes sorowes grete
But yet they take them well in pacyence
For of necessyte they must forgete
The care/trouble/sorowe/payne and offence
The whiche they suffre at the reuerence
Of theyr wyues/whiche they may not forsake
And though they oft/mysse vse theyr eloquence
Lytell regarde therto a man sholde take


Here endeth the proheme of the auctour.

And here begynneth the fyrst Ioye of maryage
The fyrst Ioy of maryage is this
As whan a man of tender yeres is
Flourynge in youth/pleasaunt fresshe and gay
Then in this worlde/nothynge may hym dysmay.
Ne other mynde/desyre nor appetyte
Conforte/lykynge/pleasure/Ioye/ne delyte
Hath he except/how he may tye his poyntes
To cause his hose/to syt well on his Ioyntes
And make his vysage/and his lymmes fayre
He brussheth oft his goune/and other gayre
His hede he combeth smothe ryght as hym lyketh
Wherof the heres/pruneth he and pyketh
And maketh hym as clenly as he can
That folke may say/there gooth a goodly man
So wyll he synge/daunce/and balades make
And vpon hym/mo entrepryses take
That he can do/or may atchyeue perchaunce
Thynkynge therby/hym selfe so to enhaunce
The fayrest creature that he can espye
He wyll beholde/with ryght a lusty eye
As vysynge well/where he suche one may fynde
A Iolynet accordynge to his mynde
And whan he hath her fast in his demayne
Ioyous he is/ryght mery/gladde and fayne
For paraduenture so the case may stande
That by his faders/or his moders lande
Or by theyr other goodes he may mayntene
His Iolynets/and go ryght well besene
Lyuynge in rest and ease habundauntly
Beholdynge other folkes certaynly
In to the bonde of maryage ybrought
Than in his mynde he casteth and his thought
Lyke as the fysshe behelde the lepe/so he
Demeth/these wedded men in blysse be
Hauynge the bayte/and pasture at theyr wyll
Wherof they may/theyr appetyte fulfyll
Ryght well he seeth the beatute of theyr wyues
Supposynge that they haue so mery lyues
With them so well appoynted and arayed
For whiche the sely husbande hath not payed
It may so be percase/at many season
Some folke wyll say/and shewe this man by reason
That so her owne fader/or her moder
Her hath arayed/and demeth he none oder
And so this yonge man/torneth hym aboute
The lepe/wherin of wedded a route
Enclosed be/and thenne he dooth enquere
Of maryage/a lytell here and there
Soone here vpon/aryseth suche a wynde
And smoke/that he therof is made so blynde
That he vnware/in to the lepe is cast
Wherin he shall be kepte and holden fast
And where as he was wonte in tyme afore
To synge and daunce/that may well be forbore
Of poyntes byenge/purses/or thynges lyke
Herof shall he not nede/whyles he may pyke
Upon the bayte/tyll he therof be full
His besynes may cause hym to be dull
Now Ioyeth he a whyle/and hym delyteth
To do pleasaunce/ryght well he hym acquyteth
Newly so entred/in to the foresayd gin
And for a tyme nothynge dysmayed therin
Supposynge out to go/but there yet styll
He must abyde/and dwell maugre his wyll
And to repent/there is no tyme ne houre
For with the swete mete/the sauces soure
Contynuaunce wyll cause hym to assay
Syth he can not escape by ony way
And for to put his wyfe in suche degre
As appertayneth of necessyte
It hym behoueth honeste to saue
And so may be/his wyfe an herte may haue
Ryght good/desyrynge to be fresshe and gay
For peraduenture/she this other day
Was at a feest/where she dyde well aduyse
Women of her degre/all other wyse
Than she/appoynted/clothed/and arayde
Within her mynde/than to her selfe she sayde
That by her byrthe/she ought as well as they
To be apparayled and in as good arey
So she compaceth/castynge in her mynde
The day and houre/out craftely to fynde
To her good man/this mater to declare
But her entent to shewe/yet wyll she spare
Tyll she with hym/at nyght be gone to bedde
For there these wyues trust well to be spedde
Of suche petycyons/as they requyre
Accordynge to theyr wylles and desyre
Whan that this wyfe/in bedde is layde thus
Sadly she sayth/for loue of cryst Ihesus
Syr lete me be in rest/for euyll at ease
I am/and he whiche gladly wolde her please
Answereth and sayth/tell me wherfore it is
That greueth you/she sayth grete cause ywys
Haue I/for ye care nothynge what I saye
Or shewe to you/in ernest or in playe
He sayeth than/why speke ye in suche a wyse
By god and all his sayntes in paradyse
She sayth/no myster it is that ye it knewe
For whan I speke to you but wordes fewe
Lytell accompt therof or rekenynge
ye make certayne/demynge for other thynge
Suche wordes I haue/and yet it is not so
Whiche causeth me/oft tymes to be wo
Truly sayth he ye shall tell your dysease
Than answereth she/syr syth it may you please
Forsothe I shall you tell/this is the cas
This other daye at suche a feest I was
The whiche in trouth/me plased nothynge wele
And wherfore I shall tell you euery dele
Whan I there was/I thynke it veryly
There was no wyfe arayed soo symply
Though she were neuer of soo lowe degre
As I was than/ye may byleue well me
How be it syr/surely I saye not this
For praysynge of my selfe/but soo it is
I thaynke god of his mercy and grace
That I am comen/of as good a place
As ony gentyl woman that was there
I me reporte/to suche as knowen where
My lygnage and myn ancestres but late
Abydynge were/and for myn owne estate
This saye I not/sauynge I am ashamed
That ye or elles/my kynne shall be defamed
Nothynge care I/of clothynge what I haue
So that alwaye/your honour ye may saue
And than sayth he/in what estate were they
At thylke feest/now tell me I you praye
Now by my trouth/syth ye wyll knowe algate
She sayth/there was not one in her estate
Egall to me/but she a newe gowne had
And was than better besene and clad
Of what clothe were/these gownes sayth he
Of scarlet fyne/of grene or perce sayth she
Furred ryght wele/with menyuer or gray
With traynes longe/and sleues large/so they
Had eke of rede/or grene/all gyrdelles good
Hangynge vnto the grounde/and by the rode
Theyr gownes were made of the newest gyse
And of the best maner/one coude deuyse
But there had I vpon my weddynge gowne
Well ouer worne/and of the olde facyon
Whiche ouer lytell/and to shorte for me
Is waxen as ye may perceyue and se
For I am growen more/syth it was made
Than at my maryage/whan I it hade
For whan I gyuen was to you alone
I was but yonge and lytell of persone
And so moche wasted am I now for payne
Whiche I of late haue had/that in certayne
I seme now wele a moder for to be
To her that myght be moder vnto me
And in good sayth so sore asshamed was I
Whan that I was amonge this company
That I ne coude ne durste make countenaunce
And yet had I more payne and dyspleasaunce
Whan that a lady there/of suche a place
Afore them all wolde saye vnto my face
Grete shame it was my clothes were so bad
And wondred why that I no better had
For whiche they toke to me but lytell hede
Unneth they turne them wolde/so god me spede
Towarde me/saue of theyr gentylnesse
Of very pyte and of lowelynesse
The good man than her husbande answered tho
ye knowe ryght wele that we haue moche to do
Wherfore my loue now herken what I saye
Remembre ye the same tyme and the daye
Whan in to maryage we entred were
Plente of money/plate or other gere
We had but small/ryght wele herof ye knowe
For whiche your selfe ye may suppose and trowe
That it hehoueth vs now for to bye
Beddes and other thynges hastelye
And at this tyme syluer ne golde in store
Lytell haue we how be it ferthermore
yet must we bye/for wynnynge and encres
Kyne and other catelles neuertheles
In suche a place/for our prouysyon
Also this other daye there fell adown
The pygnon of our hous/for couerture
It lacketh/wherfore dame I you assure
Made must it be in haast of very nede
And also other maters for to spede
I haue/for whiche grete money shall I spende
Or I may brynge my werkes to an ende
And ouer this certes within shorte space
Unto thassyse holden at suche a place
For me to go it is well necessary
Bycause of suche a plee I may not tarye
That for your londe I haue to pursue there
Of whiche as yet I may saye this and swere
I haue had lytell prouffyte or auayle
But spende my goodes/laboure and trauayle
A syr she sayd/now wote I well that ye
None other wyse can speke but repreue me
Of my landes/this may I not abyde
And in her bedde/vnto that other syde
All hastely she turneth with a grone
Sayenge/for goddes loue let me alone
For neuer shall I speke to you agayne
What deuyll sayth this man why do ye playne
And are so wroth/without cause resonable
I am not syr/she sayth/ne yet culpable
Though ye but lytell had/whan ye me toke
For dyuers to me spake/that I forsoke
Of .xx. places/whiche wolde noo good craue
So that they myght onely my body haue
In maryage withouten golde or rente
My person was to them suffycyente
But so it was/that ye ofte came and wente
And many a messenger vnto me sente
By suche subtyll maner crafte and mene
So that all other I refused clene
And had noo wyll/ony to haue but yow
For whiche grete blame & maulgre haue I now
Bothe of my lorde/my fader be ye sure
And of my moder/out of all mesures
Wherof I may haue hate and grete dysdayne
And syr this questyon I aske agayne
If ony woman/at this sayd feest there
In suche a wyse cladde or arayed were
As I beynge to me/in lyke estate
Nay syr not one/I was infortunate
Thyder to come/for by saynt Iohan I saye
The symplest gownes/that they gaue awaye
Unto theyr chamberers/were better cloth
Than is the gowne/whiche on my body goth
On sondayes/or on the holy daye
So wote I not herof/what is to saye
Moche people good out of this worlde departe
Wherof grete domage is/but for my parte
I saye/yf god were pleased I sholde decesse
To you it wolde be lytell heuynesse
For noo dyspleasure/wolde ye for me take
But hastely gete you an other make
By god sayth he/that is nothynge well sayd
Suche symple wordes/myght aparte be layd
For there is nothynge that I for you do
But wele ye ought to take regarde therto
Turne you to me/& what thynge ye lyke best
I shall perfourme/for goddes sake let me rest
Sayth she/now sothly nothynge alyeth me
And wolde our lorde/that in lyke caas were ye
But neuer shall ye touche me after this
No shall sayth he/no syr she sayth ywys
To make all wele/than thynketh he and sayth
If I were deed I knowe it by my fayth
Unto an other/soone wolde ye maryed be
Nay syr by hym that dyed on a tree
Touchynge suche pleasure/as I vnto this daye
Haue had in maryage/I swere and saye
Durynge my lyfe/that neuer mouth of man
Shall touche to myn/and she to wepe began
Sayenge these wordes/to god I make auow
If that I knewe to lyue here after yow
I sholde so deale/that I afore wolde go
The teeres fell downe fro her eyen two
Thus he demaundeth her with wordes fayre
All be it soo/she thynketh the contrayre
The good man demeth than/he is all eased
But yet agayne/in mynde is he dyspleased
Supposynge/that of nature she is colde
Of body chast/& deale with no man wolde
Also he troweth that she hym loueth wele
Thus he in herte is eased euery dele
Bycause he seeth her som what wepe afore
He trusteth that she loueth hym the more
Wherof he hath a pyteous herte and mynde
And can not be in rest tyll that he fynde
The wayes how he may her content & ease
All that he can/he dooth her for to please
In dyuers wyse/with laboure and trauayle
But all for nought/it may nothynge auayle
For she alwaye awayteth for to pyke
Upon the stroke that she afore dyde stryke
That is to saye/a newe gowne wolde she haue
The whiche for cruell stomocke nolde she craue
She passeth tyme/and no good wyll she do
But at suche houre as she was not wonte to
Upryseth she/and after all that daye
A cursed angry chere maketh she alwaye
And not one fayre worde than wyll she speke
So in her breste the malyce dooth she steke
Soone after this cometh the seconde nyght
That she to bedde must go as is it ryght
With her good man/& whan that she is layde
In bedde/than he whiche is not wele apayde
Beholdeth wele loketh and taketh kepe
On her to knowe/whether that she wake or slepe
He well aduyseth yf her armes bothe
Be couered wele and surely with the clothe
And heleth them yf nede or mayster be
Wherwith anone suche countenaunce maketh she
As thoughe she were out of her slepe awaked
Slepe ye sayth he/I thought ye had ben naked
Nay syr she sayd/what be ye not appeased
Sayth he/no syr myn herte is lytell eased
Syghynge sayth she I thanke god of his sounde
I haue ynoughe to lyue vpon the grounde
By god sayth he/dame we shall haue ynowe
Of worldly goodes/and nere to her he drowe
Sayenge I haue bethought me of a thynge
ye shall be at my cosynnes weddynge
And ye shall haue ordeyned as goodly gere
For you as ony gentyl woman there
Certes she sayth/all thoughe ye saye the best
Of all this yere/I wyll go to no feest
Now by my fayth he sayth but yet ye shall
And what ye wyll demaunde haue gowne & all
What I demaunde she sayth/that is ryght nought
For syr so god me helpe that all hath wrought
I aske not to be Ioly for enuy
Gladde wolde I be forsothe yf neuer I
Out of your hous but vnto chyrche sholde passe
Matyns to here euensonge and masse
I saye it not ne yet no wayes seche
Sauynge onely for suche vngoodly speche
As was amonges other whiche I knewe
By my gossyp/whome I fynde euer trewe
For she the wordes harde all openly
The whiche she shewed me full secretely
Than thynketh moche this poore newe wedded man
And in his mynde to compace he began
Consyderynge in what caas that he stode
A newe husholde hauynge lytell gode
And moche to do he had by many a waye
Not purueyed wele grete sommes to paye
And fyfty scutes or syxty for this gowne
He must bestowe/and shortly laye it downe
And in his thought/cast a cheuysaunce
For there may be none other waye ne chaunce
But that this gowne nedely must be had
Wherwith and other gere she shall be clad
For he perceyued hath/by his aduyse
His wyfe a woman is/bothe good and wyse
He thanketh god/the lorde of heuen blysse
So fayre a Iuell/to gyue hym as she is
From one syde to an other/he turneth ofte
In bedde he slepeth not though he lye softe
And it may happen soo/his Wyfe this seeth
Whiche subtyll is/and she within her teeth
Wyll laughe/whan that she knoweth his conceyte
Whome she hath ouercome/with her deceyte
After this nyght/whan comen is the morowe
Aryseth vp this good man full of sorowe
All ouercome with syghes/that he hath take
The nyght afore/for his good wyues sake
And in auenture to the market gothe
With pawne or credence/for to by the clothe
And straytly vnto marchauntes he hym byndeth
Or elles to them suche Iuelles as he fyndeth
Whether they be of syluer/or of golde
Whiche he somtyme had/of his fader olde
Then sellteh he/or elles .x. pounde or more
Of rente in mortgage layeth he therfore
Shortly this man/dooth so his maters spede
That he hath all suche thynges as in that nede
Wherwith he cometh home all spedyly
And to haue thanke he demeth veryly
She syenge this/made semblaunt hym before
As though suche cost myght well haue ben forbore
And that nothynge/she sette by gowne ne gayre
That he home brought with hym for her repayre
Cursynge all them with tonge/& not with thought
That fyrst so grete estate and porte vp brought
And whan she knewe that thynge was sure she sayd
To her good man and hym besought and prayed
He neuer sholde reproue her of the daye
That she had made hym spende for her araye
His money or his goodes/and neuermore
Her to rebuke/or elles vmbrayde therfore
For by the gowne set I nothynge she sayth
So that I may me kepe frome colde in fayth
And alway haue one peny in my purse
Whiche wyll suffyse to me though it were worse
Anone was made this gowne/and eke an hood
Also a gyrdell whiche was ryche and good
And now are comen the termes & the houres
Whan that he must content his credytoures
And this poore man not able is to paye
Bycause his golde and syluer ben awaye
And lenger wyll they not forbere this man
But execute in all the haast they can
They curse on hym/& she the same perceyueth
And therof all the circumstaunce conceyueth
And perauenture afore this curse procede
Or elles after the lawe dooth hym forbede
In chyrche to be/wherfore his company
Men wyll eschewe and grudge all vtterly
Hauynge dysdayne with hym to drynke & ete
And he but lytell hath and none can gete
Of money out of daunger hym to brynge
God wote what Ioye he hath in his lyuynge
His wyfe goth cryenge in the hous aboute
Wherwith a noyse she maketh and a showte
And thus she sayth/ha cursed be the houre
That I was euer in my moders boure
Forth brought or borne/alas it had not happed
That in the cloth/wherin I was fyrst lapped
I had be buryed/for neuer so grete shame
Betydde to ony woman ne dyffame
As to me and my kynne/now shall be layd
Alas I laboure sore/and fast she sayd
And all the laboure besynesse and cost
That I haue done of many a daye is lost
In twenty places or moo I had be maryed
If I so wolde/but lyke a fole I taryed
For where I myght grete honour & auayle
Haue had/and rychesse/therof now I fayle
I knowe how that theyr wyues be bysene
That wolde haue maryed me/whiche doth me
And therfore haue I heuynesse and wo
That deth the lyfe nyll take my body fro
Thus she complayneth her withouten care
Of her husbande/or how the good man fare
For hooly she hath sette her mynde vpon
Her owne estate/and shortely she is gon
Unto this maryage/and where she sholde
Haue thought vpon her husbande she ne wolde
But to this poore man putteth all the wyte
Lyke as an hors that can bothe playne & byte
This woman dooth/and she is cause of all
For she this man hath made so bestyall
Somwhat for sorowe/or elles wyse by playe
That well nygh wasted is his wytte a waye
So that he wyll not vnderstonde ne knowe
That she is in defaute/wyll he not trowe
And though he se the maters euydent
yet of necessytee he is content
But of the thought & sorowes to enquere
It is but waast/syth ye the causes here
Of this man whiche can neyther rest ne slepe
That thynketh euery houre and taketh kepe
How that he may in ease this woman sette
And fynde some remedy to paye his dette
But yet is he more angry for his wyfe
Whiche curseth hym/than all that other stryfe
Thus soroweth he/in pouertee downe fall
And frome that payne recouer neuer shall
Prycked he is/but smarte can he none fele
That all is Ioye/to hym it semeth wele
Thus is this man within the lepe yclosed
And parauenture so he is dysposed
That he nothynge therof dooth hym repent
For yf that he out of the same were hent
Soone wolde he go agayne in to that gynne
And all his payne and woo newly begynne
yet sholde he neuer be in soo good cas
As he hath ben afore he maryed was
And there this poore man shall vse his lyfe
Endynge his dayes in wretchednes & stryfe


Thus endeth the fyrst Ioye of maryage.

Here begynnes the seconde Ioye of maryage.
As for the seconde Ioye of maryage
It is whan yt this wyfe of her courage
Feleth that she so rychely is arayed
In suche a wyse as here tofore is sayd
And knoweth well ynough yt she is fayre
Than wyll she go frome home to take the ayre
To many feestes and assembles eke
And also holy sayntes for to seke
On dyuers pylgrymages wyll she go
All though the husbande be not pleased so
Her Iourney enterpryseth she to ryde
With her cosyon and gossyppes at a tyde
And specyally for her kynnesmannes sake
Her pylgrymage deuoutly wyll she take
And perauenture yet it may soo be
That this man is as nyghe kynne vnto me
As vnto her/but soo hym for to call
Wonte and accustomed is she ouer all
It may be thought for some entent or cause
She calleth hym soo/but there I leue a clause
Her moder than seynge her besynesse
Cometh somtyme to this man I gesse
And as a woman can begynne to clatter
She sayth his herte to tycle and flatter
This foresayd man/her cosyn is of blode
For her to go with suche a company is good
And other whyle the husbande is lothe
That she sholde go/sayth sadly by his othe
How he none horses hath ne other thynge
Her to conuey to feest or gaderynge
Than shall the gossyp or her cosyn saye
I am ryght lothe by god and by this daye
To go/for myn hous so god me spede
Moche thynge haue I to do of very nede
And were it not honour to you and me
Speke wolde I not as now so mote I the
For syr soo god me helpe I knowe it wele
your wyfe to go is pleased neuer a dele
She is a woman leest that loueth waast
Of ony lyuynge/for euer she dooth haast
Home warde whan she at ony place is oute
For your expence & charge she hath suche doute
So this good man/whos wysdome is to seche
And sore abused with theyr flaterynge speche
Demaundeth who goth in this campany
Of men and other/and she sayth certaynly
My cosyon and my godfader also
My god moder/and many an other mo
your moder in lawe/whiche is your wyues moder
My good cosyn your wyfe/and dyuers other
Also the wyues of suche a place in dede
And your cosyn and hers haue ye no drede
Other there be mo/dwellynge in your strete
I dare well saye this company is mete
A kynges doughter for to be amonge
And be ye sure she wyll not tarye longe
Soo is this sely man on honoure sette
That in no wyse wyll he this vyage lette
And perauenture she that thus dooth speke
Shall haue a gowne or other thynges to breke
The mater that the persone may be playd
And thus it falleth ofte as it is sayd
He sayth this company is good and fayre
But she moche hath to do/and grete repayre
At home how be it/for to goo as than
She hath a lycence gyuen by this man
Whiche to her sayth/beware how by the dayes
ye be demeaned trauaylynge on your wayes
Also take hede at nyght ye lodge you sure
And god you kepe frome euyll auenture
The good wyfe than/whiche doth perceyue & here
That she hath leue/maketh coutenaunce & chere
At home for to abyde yet had she leuer
Than forth to ryde/& from her home dysseuer
She sayth my loue this tyme no cause haue I
Out for to goo with suche a company
I praye you that I may not goo this season
Her cosyn than was nyghe herynge that reason
Answered and sayd/what cosyn ye shall goo
your gentyll husband wyll that it be soo
The good man than a lytell abacke doth drawe
And thus he sayth vnto his moder in lawe
Ne were it for the trust I haue in yow
She sholde not go/this make I god auow
Ha my good sone she sayth by heuen kynge
That made this worlde/and euery other thynge
ye may as surely and withouten drede
Suffre her to go as for to saye your crede
Thus they departe and on theyr waye be gone
And as they go/these wordes than sayth one
Unto an other he hath some Ialousye
It semeth wele he dredeth Ieopardye
Thus is he mocked by these womens arte
For now come galauntes forth on euery parte
Whiche at the feest afore by auenture
This foresayd werke haue made and put in vre
And there awaytynge ben vpon theyr nede
For to conclude and so forth to procede
But how this wyfe now fested is & serued
For loue of her good man all vndeserued
And god wote how she doth herselfe applye
To reuell daunce/and for to synge on hye
Also she maketh good and mery chere
But god wote how she prayseth her bedfere
The husbande lefte at home whyle she is oute
And seeth herselfe so praysed amonge the route
Certes these galauntes than her do aduyse
And se she is apparaylled in suche wyse
Perceyuynge well her chere and countenaunce
Shortely to hex eche one hym doth auaunce
One profreth moche/an other offreth more
Harde is to me the cause to tell wherfore
The Ioly chere the praty trotte and pace
With the demeanynge of a womans face
Wyll gyue these louers cause & hardynesse
To sewe for grace vnto theyr worthynesse
One to her wordes gracyous dooth saye
And other cometh as nygh her as he may
And setteth his fote a lofte on hers playne
Eke by the honde quyckly he doth her strayne
Also an other his loke casteth a syde
Full pyteously and sharpely for a tyde
An other than vnto her dooth presente
A dyamonde ryght fayre and oryente
Or elles a ryche rubye with a rynge
Whiche she receyueth with some other thynge
By whiche thynges may she well vnderstande
Of theyr entent/and fele it with her hande
If she haue ony reason brayne or wyt
And other whyles by fortune happeth it
That frome her chayre alyght wyll she adown
To doo some werkes of deuocyon
Or vnto Uenus to doo sacrefyse
But how can I not saye ne in what wyse
This sely man at home in poore degree
Is made and brought vnto necessytee
For thylke estate that his wyfe doth pretende
The mater thus hath dryuen to an ende
And made her go to gaderynges and feestes
Amonge a wycked company of gestes
For vnto her they yolden be in trust
To haue theyr pleasures appetytes and lust
Upon none other thynge do they aweyte
But how they may doo this poore man deceyte
The stroke wherof he hath without escape
Whiche comynly is called but a Iape
So he is causer of his propre shame
None other wyght therof is for to blame
And thus it happeth by contynuaunce
That what by sygnes speche or countenaunce
Trouth of the thynge wherof he was in doute
All openly reported is aboute
Wherby he falleth Ialouse in a rage
Out of the whiche there is no wyght so sage
That hym can moue/for who that feruently
Of woman feleth the cruell malady
There is no medycyne that may hym cure
The sekenesse is so sharpe without mesure
Than wyll he bete her bytterly and curse
Wherby the werkes maketh he moche worse
For chastyce can he not by daye ne nyght
His wyfe but by his betynge maketh lyght
And hote the loue bytwne her & her frende
Thus dryueth he the mater to an ende
And soo he other whyles fortune may
One of her lymmes breke or kytte away
Wherby his castell or his pyle he loseth
Than as a mased beest he hym dysposyth
Withouten care and all he setteth at nought
Thus hath he founde ye payne whiche he hath sought
And neuer after wyll she loue hym more
Bycause that he hath beten her so sore
But for to passe the tyme and make a shewe
And of fayre wordes speketh she but fewe
There this poore man in turment payne & wo
Lyueth and yet he thynketh not so
And all these sorowes/he for Ioyes doth take
Soo in the lepe he is I vndertake
Enclosed depe/and yf he were withoute
yet shortely wolde he in withouten doute
There vseth he his lyfe in paynes alwayes
And wretchedly/thus endeth he his dayes


Thus endeth the seconde Ioye of maryage.

Here begynneth the thyrde Ioye of maryage.
Another Ioye whiche named is the thrydde
Of maryage in no wyse may be hydde
The whiche I purpose shortely to dclare
Accordynge to myn auctour and not spare
The whiche is whan man in youth doth wedde
A yonge mayde/and whan they bothe in bedde
Haue had theyr pleasures largely and desyre
And well aswaged is the brennynge fyre
The hoot heruest is well ouerblowe
As it with me and other is I trowe
Soone after this her bely doth aryse
And waxeth grete/as is the comyn gyse
Wherof the husbande alwaye hath the name
And perauenture he nothynge to blame
Is of the dede/for so it happeth ofte
As some men saye in preuy counseyll softe
And therat meryly wyll laughe or hum
But this is de secretes mulierum
The husbande than in to suche thought doth fall
And turmentes that he ronne and trotte shall
To gete the wyfe all she shall nede
Forth on his Iourney swyftely doth he spede
And yf he tryppe or stomble by the waye
He may fall in the myre by nyght or daye
And grete auenture shall be yf he brynge
Uytaylles that may be good to her lykynge
All thoughe he hath done neuer so grete payne
Whyles he was out/tyll he came home agayne
And ofte it happeth so that for suche mete
As comynly she vsed hath to ete
Bothe lust and appetyte from her do pas
Bycause her stomacke is not as it was
Than she desyreth to haue thynges straunge
And noueltees her dyerte for to chaunge
For whiche this poore man must trotte on fote
Or elles ryde there is none other bote
Bothe nyght & daye/to gete where he may fynde
Suche delycates as may content her mynde
And in this turment seuen yeres and more
Is this good man/and yet she euermore
Nothynge wyll do but playe the wanton so
That therof pyte hath this husbande tho
Whiche of the hous alwaye the charge doth bere
And se all thynges well ordred euery where
Erly to ryse/and late to goo to bedde
He must and se all maters be well spede
And on his husholde/after suche estate
As he is of remembreth he algate
Now dooth the tyme approche of trauaylynge
And she a chylde into the worlde shall brynge
God faders than in haast/god moders eke
As she wyll ordre/besyly to seke
He hath grete thought and out goth in an hete
The nourysses and gossyppes for to gete
Whiche must her kepe of chylde whyle she lyeth in
What tyme his double sorowe dooth begyn
For so they drynke the wyne in euery houre
As in to olde botes one dyde it poure
Now lyenge in her trauayle payne and wo
This wyfe auoweth twenty waye and mo
On pylgrymage to go for her good spede
To be put out of her grete payne and drede
This poore man auoweth eke for to ryde
Unto all halowes/and now on euery syde
The gossyppes come/and this good man must gete
Suche vytayles as they may well drynke and ete
So that they may in suche a wyse be eased
As they shall holde them well content & pleased
This done/the wyfe and gossyppes talke togyder
And fast they carye in for drede of weder
All be it soo/this good man hath the payne
That trauayle must in wynde snowe hayle or rayne
And whan he is forth passed on his waye
One of the gossyppes wyll these wordes saye
Alas my gossyp whiche now is withoute
An harde fytte hath/that am I out of doute
A foule and euyll weder now it is
No force an other sayth so haue I blysse
He is ryght wele at ease/and so be we
But yf it fortune soo/somtyme that he
Fayle of suche thynge as were vnto theyr paye
One of the gossyppes to the wyfe shall saye
Gossyp I meruayle moche/and so dooth all
This felawshyp/that it so is befall
And we haue wonder what it may amount
That your husbande doth make so lytell count
Of you or of your yonge chylde here in trouthe
A gentyll herte wolde pyte haue and routhe
Beholde it wele/conceyue what he wolde do
yf ye had chyldren fyue or syxe yet mo
It doth appere he leuoth you but lyte
Wherof bothe ye and we may haue dyspyte
Consydred where ye lust hym for to take
He hath more honoure truely for your sake
Than euer ony of his lygnage bore
Haue had in dayes passed here tofore
By god I saye/that is our lorde Ihesus
Rather than my husbande serued me thus
I had well leuer/eyther he were deed
Or elles that he none eye had in his heed
Than sayth an other/gossyp fynde some bote
Let not this man thus cast you vnderfote
For he shall doo to you whan ye be layde
As moche agayne or more/now haue I sayde
An other sayth/my cosyon I meruayle
ye take no more regarde to your auayle
Consydred/ye be wyse of good lygnage
And he not lyke to you/though maryage
Hath coupled you and all men hygh & lowe
How ye hym suffre vnderstonde and knowe
And he doth you so grete domage alwaye
Than doth the wyfe answere agayne and saye
Truely my dere gossyppes what is the best
To do as in this caas so haue I rest
Nothynge knowe I ne wayes fynde I can
To helpe my selfe he is so euyll man
An euyll man he is/one of them sayth
But I shall tell you truely by my fayth
My gossyppes that be here/they knowe well whan
I was fyrst maryed to myn husbande than
Men sayd he was so dyuers of his wyll
That it was wonder but he wolde me kyll
By god my gossyp though he so were named
I thanke our lorde he is now ryght wele tamed
For he had leuer fall and breke his arme
Than me to do dyspleasure hurte or harme
But fyrst whan we togyder maryed were
To speke than he began with angry chere
And for to stryke as dooth a carlysshe mon
But by the sacrament of god anon
Fast with my tethe I toke the brydell so
That he me bette no more but tymes two
Wherin he played the very fole and more
For after was I moche wors than before
And he hath tolde my gossyp sykerly
That he in me coude put no remedy
Now may I speke and do all that I wyll
And be it ryght or wronge vntrouth or skyll
Alwaye with me the last worde shall remayne
So whan he speketh I chekke hym vp agayne
There is no game lyke it/whiche is to playe
With players and put besynesse a waye
For gossyp neuer man yet was so harde
I you ensure but yf he be answarde
Well by his wyfe she shall soone make hym fre
And debonarye/yf that she wytty be
An other sayth/my cosyn be well ware
ye speke to hym/and for no drede ye spare
Whan he cometh home/and saye the best ye can
And in this wyse/gouerned is this man
Than drynke they fast & saye saynt Iohn to borowe
And take theyr leue vnto the nexte morowe
What tyme agayne they wyll retourne to se
The maner all/how she shall gouerned be
But whan this poore man cometh home agayne
With vytaylles and with other thynge certayne
And seeth there is grete waast made in his hous
Of goddes and he is inly couetous
Than falleth he heuynesse and payne
For thought that hym doth by the herte constrayne
An houre or two by nyght he doth aryue
For he hath comen ferre to se his wyue
And for to vnderstonde yet ferthermore
How that she dooth/he coueyteth ryght sore
Whether she be hole/or how it with her is
In ony wyse to knowe wyll he not mys
One nyght frome home he dare not lodge withoute
Of his expence he hath suche fere and doute
Into his hous with Ioye entred is he
And all his seruauntes there in theyr degre
Instructed be and taught in suche a wyse
Lyke as the good wyfe lyst afore deuyse
For elles though neuer so good & true were thay
They sholde not tarye there well halfe a daye
Now he demaundeth how the good wyfe doth
And therof wyll he vnderstonde the soth
Than sayth her chamberer whiche dooth her kepe
Syr she is very seke and may not slepe
Syth ye departed hens ete myght she not
But lytell she amended is god wot
Than is this man all sorowfull and sadde
Whiche hath ben wette wt reyne & harde bestadde
For oftentyme by hym and other moo
Parauenture it may well happen soo
That he is faynte and his hors at assaye
For he hath passed by an euyll waye
And they percas of all the daye afore
Haue neyther dronke ne eten lasse ne more
And yet wyll not this poore man ete a bytte
Tyll tyme that he may vnderstonde & wytte
How his wyfe dooth/& than the chambrerere
Olde matrones/& the nouryse drawen nere
And seruauntes whiche enfourmed ben how they
After theyr charge shall them demeane alwey
They shewe theyr personages as they were wroth
Than wyll not he abyde/but vp he goth
Into the chambre/comynge her agayne
And at his entre/softely she dooth playne
Upon the bedde afore her leneth he
Sayenge my best byloued how do ye
Ryght seke she sayth my lorde/and than he there
Demaundeth how in what a wyse and where
My loue sayth she/ye knowe well that of late
I am made feble/and in poore estate
Than answereth he to her as in this wyse
Haue ye not ordeyned so that some colyse
Of a fatte capon for you may be made
Now syr so god me helpe/ryght so I hadde
She sayth of late/but they it can not make
In fayth quod he loue I shall vndertake
To make you one full well and holsomly
The whiche shall no man touche but ye and I
And ye shall ete it for the loue of me
She sayth my loue I wyll well it so be
This good man than goth to the coke in hast
He stampeth fast and ordeyned her repast
Fast chydeth he/and sayth they be but bestes
For they can dyght no metes at requestes
Than hastely he dooth this soupynge bere
Unto his wyfe/and whan he cometh there
With prayer he enforceth her to take
Somwhat therof and ere well for his sake
And so she dooth and sayth syr good it is
But so was not that they haue made or this
For it was nothynge worth a symple fle
And with that worde frome her departeth he
To souper/and adowne he dooth hym sette
And therupon the vytaylles be forth sette
None of the delycates that gossyppes ete
The daye afore/whiche were not for hym mete
Not perauenture of the messes chefe
He had but of the fragmentes and belefe
Wherof the olde wyues haue take theyr fyll
And god wote in what wyse they dranke theyr tyll
Thus was this wety man at souper fedde
Wherwith he is content and goth to bedde
All sobrely with heuynesse and sorowe
And whan that comen is the nexte morowe
Unto his wyfe he gooth and in this wyse
He sayth/my loue tyme is ye awake and ryse
And go to masse for we so moche do spende
That all our money nygh is at an ende
This cost is grete/we may not bere out it
And she answereth a syr it is not yet
No whyle syth I was layde/& so grete payne
I haue that yet I can not well sustayne
Myselfe/but now I wote it and byleue
ye thynge it longe/& sore it doth you greue
That I ne laboure in the hous agayne
In suche a wyse as though I sholde be slayne
I vnderstonde it is your mynde and wyll
That in this wyse I sholde my selfe do kyll
Alas I se in tyme to come that I
Ryght moche shall haue to suffre certaynly
If that I sholde haue .x. or .xii. yee mo
Chyldren/but god defende that it be so
For yf it myght hym please I wolde be gladde
That neuer one after this tyme I hadde
And please it to god that I more chylde haue neuer
But his comaundement be perfourmed euer
In me and all his wyll lowly obeyd
Ha sayd this man/alas what haue ye sayd
ye mone yourselfe without cause or encheson
For I dare saye and make it good by reoson
Was neuer poore man yet of myn estate
That suffre hath soo moche as I of late
Frome hensforth in it shall me lyke & please
That whan ye wyll ye aryse or take your ease
Than sayth she thus/my counseyll is that one
Go streyght vnto my gossyppes all anone
And saye to them they come no more to me
For I am euyll dysposed in certaynte
My loue sayth he they shall come and haue all
Suche thynges as may them please in specyall
Syr than sayth she/no more let me be styll
And do ye all thynges as it is your wyll
Than cometh a matrone with a wryngled face
An olde kepster with whome is lytell grace
And to the good man out her mynde doth breke
Pease syr she sayth/no mo suche wordes speke
For to a woman that is voyde of brayne
And feble/and so tender in certayne
Grete peryll is to speke so in her payne
And therwithall she draweth the courtayne
So doth this man lyue sorowfully alwayes
And wretchedly so shall he ende his dayes


Here endeth the thyrde Ioye of maryage.

Here begynneth the fourth Ioye of maryage.
The fourth Ioye of maryage to tell
Is as to go frome purgatorye to hell
For it is whan he whiche hath maryed be
Kepynge an housholde after his degre
Where he hath dwelled styll .viii. yeres euen
And hath of yonge chyldren fyre or seuen
Passynge full many an euyll nyght & daye
Unhappely as ye haue herde me saye
Wherof he hath had many an euyll ende
Thus is his youth gretely made colde & spende
And it were tyme for hym sore to repente
If that he coude/as synners sholde in lente
But of his hous whiche he must kepe algate
He is soo inly wery and soo mate
That what someuer the wyfe wyll speke or do
Nought careth he/ne taketh hede therto
For he as harde and dull is as an asse
Whiche for no prycke ne sporre wyll faster passe
This poore man doughters hath yet one or twayne
The whiche may fortune wolde be maryed fayne
They redy be and on the houre they tarye
Awaytynge fast who wyll come them to marye
They be in Ioye/and it may happen so
The man is poore/and lyueth in care & wo
Nygh moneyles/and hath no grete substaunce
For maryage to make his cheuysaunce
Also vnto his sones he must bye
His doughters & his other small meynye
Doublettes hosyn kyrtels and vytayle
And many an other thynge withouten fayle
His sayd doughters he must repayre and kepe
All honestely and gaye/elles wyll they wepe
And for thre thynges this nedely must be done
One is bycause they may be asked sone
Of dyuers galauntes dwellynge them aboute
An other is withouten ony doute
All were it so that this goodman ne wolde
yet so to be/for nothynge it ne sholde
For why the wyfe hath passed the same waye
And she ne wyll it suffre by this daye
Also there is an other reason why
Bycause they haue good myndes & hertes hye
And are accustomed to be fresshe & gay
For otherwyse wyll they not be ne may
And in auenture yf they otherwyse
Entred were/anone they wolde practyse
To haue theyr Iolynettes/for helpe and ease
But there an ende/of that I holde my pease
So is this man on euery parte dysmayd
These charges berynge/as afore is sayd
And perauenture soo he is bestadde
That symplely and poorely he is cladde
Of whiche araye yet careth he nothynge
So he may haue a passe tyme and lyuynge
And this suffyseth well to hym alwaye
As to the fysshe doth in the lepe to playe
Whyles he may haue a tyme and suffraunce
Therin to lyue and languysshe nt penaunce
And yet therby abbredged ben his dayes
So fareth it by suche a man alwayes
The whiche into the lepe of housholdynge
Is put where he shall suffre suche turmentynge
As I haue sayd/and other innumerable
And thus he seeth these thynges so chargeable
That all he sette at nought soo he lyue may
As doth an hors morfounded by the waye
Whiche none accompte doth set by sporre ne thynge
That may to hym be done in trauaylynge
This not withstondynge/wheder he wyll or not
Forth hym behoueth for to goo and trot
To gouerne londe and lyuelode whiche is his
Ryght after suche estate as he of is
And perauenture he hath horses twayne
The whiche be lene & poore for lacke of grayne
And it soo fortune may he hath but one
Or yet not one/but forth he gooth anone
And .xx. myle or fourty from his place
He trauaylleth/within a lytell space
Unto the parlyament/or to thassyse
Where he hath for to sewe in dyuers wyse
For suche a cause/as other thynges amonge
Hath ben dependant in the lawe there longe
A payre of botes well of thre yeres olde
Or foure he hath to kepe his legges frome colde
The whiche full ofte haue mended ben alowe
Ryght craftely for drede it sholde be knowe
So that parte whiche was somtyme on the kne
Amyddes the shynne must nedely vsed be
Full ofte they chaunged haue theyr former face
And that hath brought them from aboue so bace
A rustye payre of sporres he hath eke
Wherof one of the rowelles be to seke
Also of .x. yeres olde he hath a gowne
Not of the newest gyse ne facyowne
The whiche for drede that he sholde it appere
Excepte on hygh feestes he nolde it were
Or elles whan he frome home sholde go or ryde
All other tymes it was layde clene asyde
The cause why it was of so olde a shappe
May be for soo it fallen is by happe
That gownes be made all in a newe gyse
But this to hym dooth well ynoughe suffyse
And in his wayes yf that he se or here
Ony Instrumentes or playes ay they answere
As semeth hym by sowynge in his ere
Of his housholde bycause his mynde is there
He lyues harde and poorely by the wayes
So do his horses/and his page alwayes
Whiche page is all to ragged and to rent
As pluto was that rode to parlyament
Upon his syde a rustye sworde and bad
He ware the whiche his mayster goten had
In flaunders at a bataylle/also he
Those bowges caryed that were wonte to be
Ofte vsed to conueye bothe nygh and farre
His legge harneys alwayes in tyme of warre
Sortely to speke/he doth all that he may
With lytell cost to trauayle by the waye
For he at home ynough hath for to spende
Also these aduocates to hym offende
Sergeauntes gryffyers/and suche a companye
So largely take of hym that he doth hye
Home warde as fast as he his hors can dryue
And perauenture whan he cometh to his wyue
It is nygh the mornynge as the nyght
And whan he is at home he dooth alyght
Where he noo souper fynde can ne espye
Bycause his wyfe and other companye
Unto theyr beddes were gone somwhat afore
Or he came home/but he dare saye no more
But taketh all in pacyence and gree
For here vnto accustomed hath he be
And yf it happe that he come in good houre
Wery and sadde with trauayle and laboure
Pensyfe heuy/and of his charges greued
Supposynge to be welcomed and releued
How be it many tymes he hath had
And he doth thynke ryght euyll chere & bad
The good wyfe chydeth than & clappeth fast
As though a tempest were or thonder blast
Within the hous/and yf that this good man
Lyst to comaunde/or bydde his seruautes than
To gete hym ony thynge that he wolde haue
There is not in his hous so lewde a knaue
That maketh accompte therby ne wyll obey
So by theyr dame afore taught ben all they
Wherfore to speke he loseth tyme and payne
But she therwith be pleased in certayne
And yf his ladde in ony wyse demande
Mete for hym selfe/or for his hors prouande
He shall be checked and rebuked so
That he shall not dare speke suche wordes mo
Also this poore man that is soo sage
Wyll make no noyse for hym ne for his page
But taketh all in pacyence and sayth
Dame ye do well/and yours in good fayth
Therwith she answereth hym all hastely
ye haue more lost and spent now folyly
Than ye wyll wynne of all these yeres twaye
I tolde you late in twenty deuylles waye
ye sholde haue made our henhous close or now
A martron eten hath this tell I yow
Thre of myn olde hennes ye shall perceyue
What harme we haue therby/thus ye deceyue
By god I knowe yf ye may lyue your age
ye shall be poorest man of your lygnage
Fayre dame sayth he no mo suche wordes saye
I haue ynough/and so shall haue alway
Our lorde I thanke/and yf it do hym please
I am content/and thynke me well at ease
For of my kynred there ben full ryght good men
In your kynred/ha se now/sayth she then
By saynt Mary/I knowe not where they be
And at the leest I coude them neuer se
Dame by my/fayth he sayth/some be ryght gode
Of my lygnage/I wolde ye vnderstode
The whiche be worthe as moche or more than ye
What they/she sayth/be they lyke vnto me
ye dame sayth he/nay syr by god sayth she
I tell you well your dedes were but small
Without my frendes helpe in especyall
Now fayre dame/for goddes loue sayth he
Haue pacyence/and lete suche wordes be
Certes she sayth/yf that my frendes were here
And you suche/wordes had/they wolde answere
you well ynough/then he the mater feres
Leest it by her/sholde come vnto theyr eres
Wherfore to kepe all thynges in pacyence
No more sayth he/but resteth with sylence
And here with all/begynneth for to wepe
A lytell chylde/that can not go but crepe
And she anone/a rodde taketh in her hande
And in dyspyte/of this good poore husbande
More than for other cause or chastysynge
Upon the buttockes/she dooth it bete and dynge
This lytell babe/and than he sayth no more
Bete it fayre dame/and waxeth wrothe therfore
And she begynneth for to chyde and crye
In all the deuylles names of hell on hye
To gouerne them/she sayth ye haue no payne
They cost you nought/but I haue cause to playne
For alway vpon them I must attende
God gyue it shamefull deth/and euyll ende
Ha fayre dame sayth he/that is foule sayd
With that the nouryce shortely dooth out brayde
And sayth a syr/full lytell do ye knowe
The sorowe that here is amonge vs I trowe
And what payne that it were to you/yf ye
Sholde kepe and nourysshe them so as do we
Now by my trouth/than sayth the chamberere
It is grete shame to you syr/wyll ye here
For whan that you come home/we sholde be fayne
Of your comynge/but ye make noyse and playne
And all your hous/ye set in grete debate
This man seynge this/and therwith is chekmate
How he on euery syde is prycked sore
And he can gete no remedy therfore
All wery gooth he souperles to bedde
And yf he soupe/god wote how he is fedde
Or eased/after he to slepe dooth lye
And hereth all the nyght his chyldren crye
For wytyngly the nouryce and the moder
Do let them crye/they wyll it be none other
In grete dyspyte of hym whiche all the nyght
Dooth passe in sorowe/vnto the dayes lyght
All these tourmentes/he for Ioye dooth holde
For why/none otherwyse he lyue ne wolde
Therfore he is/and alway shall abyde
In sorowe thought/and care on euery syde
And wretchydly his dayes in payne and wo
He shall endure/and make an ende ryght so


Here endeth the fourth Ioye of maryage.

Here begynneth the fyfth Ioye of maryage.
Of marayge for to declare or wryte
The fyfth Ioye/now god wolde I were quyte
So lytell fruyte or pleasure stante therin
That I am wery falfe or I begyn
Whiche is whan yt the good man whiche is maryed
Longe tyme in trauayle hath/and wo taryed
And many a payne endured hath before
Whose youth is gretely ouer drawen therfore
And he is veray wery faynte and mate
But by auenture it may so be algate
He hath a wyfe more greter of lygnage
Then he/and eke more yonger of her aege
The whiche be two grete and doutfull thynges
To medle with/and namely in weddynges
For better none can do hymselfe to waste
Than in these twayne/to lappe or put in haste
His body/and well vnderstonde it why
For two repungnaunce/they be truely
Wherfore agaynge nature it were and ryght
They sholde accorde by daye or elles nyght
And other whyles so is that he and she
Some chylde may haue/or elles that none there be
This not withstandynge she is nothynge sette
To payne/for why/the good man wyll not lette
But she be kepte in pleasure ease and wele
Wherfore he traueyleth/and dooth euery dele
Whiche is to mayntene suche a Ioly state
And costyous/as she wyll kepe algate
And yf she wolde haue thynge that there is not
That she may haue it/he wyll go or trote
For she wyll not make lower ne empeyre
Her lygnage by her dyete ne her geyre
The husbande taketh all this for honoure
And thanketh god entyerly of that houre
In whiche he of his grace/her hath hym sent
So what she dooth or sayth he is content
And often tyme it happeth at a tyde
Whan they begyn/to vercyfy or chyde
She sayth to hym by maner of manace
ye knowe ryght well/of what an house or place
I comen am/and was not gyuen to the
A drabble or elles a dreuyll for to be
She sayth as soone/as I wyll sende or wryte
Unto my kynne and frendes of this dyspyte
Anone they wyll come hyder for to se
How I do here/and therfore dare not he
For ony cause/ones touche her with his hande
With staffe ne stycke/for all his goodes and lande
Though he with mouthe/grete wordes hath ysayd.
As styll he is/and muet as a mayde
In bondage grete/me semeth that he is
And so it may well be that she or this
Had by her frendes maryed ben aforne
Unto/a rycher man/and better borne
Than he/and in a hygher state be sette
If that in her had ben no faute ne lette
But for there was before some lytell Iape
That in her yought fortuned for to scape
To cole her thryst/as dyuers folkes well trowe
She had not elles ben maryed hafe so lowe
Wherof the husbande had no knowlegynge
Or perauenture he hath herde some thynge
But this good man/of suche fayth and beleue
Is made/that this thynge lytell dooth hym greue
For he hath herde it sayde/and so worne or then
Of many folkes/and of ryght good men
That all suche cursed langage was contryued
Agaynst his wyfe/and he the same beleued
They saye it is bostynges and auauntes
Made by the meanes of Ioly frsshe galauntes
And other sklaundrers that speketh shame
Of women good/and falsely them defame
Whan they togyders in the stretes walke
Thus of good men and women wyll they talke
What tyme that they nothynge may elles do
Unthryftely thus speke they euer mo
Wherin god wote/grete syne do they & wronges
In suche vngoodly wyse to vse theyr tonges
And yf so be/this wyfe beholde and se
Her husbande beynge in so lowe degre
That he all Ioye hath lefte/dysporte and playe
Thynkynge to make a cheuysaunce some waye
Upon her lande/or elles it may be fall
Of cheuysaunce he hath ynough at all
And is a very nygarde/and a chynche
That wyll not frely spende/but spare and pynche
The whiche no pleasaunt thynge is to the wyfe
That purposeth to lyue a lusty lyfe
Bycause that she in seasons of the yere
Wyll haue these noueltees/though they be dere
As well in vytayle/gounes as atyre
Grydels and other thynges at her desyre
Lyke as she seeth her felawes vse and were
At feestes and daunces euery where
There as her cosyns/and her gossyppes be
And with an other man/that alwayes she
Useth to call her cosyn euermo
And peraduenture yet he is not so
Also somtymes well it fortune may
That for the grete pleasures ease and play
She hath/and seeth in many a sundry wyse
Dysdayne her husbande she wyll and dyspyse
And make a frende/suche as she wyll desyre
Her hasbande then/in water or in fyre
May lye/for she wyll loue hym neuermore
Som folke wolde deme she were to blame therfore
But ye must take the mater other wyse
For all is longe vpon his couytyse
And he is sadde/and in perplexyte
But she is lyght/and in prosperyte
Not entred into thought ne negardy
She is but yonge/and so she wyll apply
Her youthe in pleasure/lustes and delyte
Aege is not mete vnto her appetyte
So louynge is she/to her loue and kynde
That to suche place/as she demeth hym to fynde
Ofte wyll she take/her Iourney forthe and walke
Or secretely/and softly forthe wyll she stalke
Unto her frende/that lusty is and fresshe
For veray loue her lymmes to refresshe
And it may happen many tymes that she
Sauynge her worshyp/seldon may hym se
Then for to speke her good name and honoure
Her messenger she sendeth at an houre
That he shall come/and se her hastely
The whiche is done ryght well and honestly
Soone after this/whan comen is the nyght
And this good man and she withouten lyght
Be layde in bedde/and he somwhat wolde play
With her/whose mynde is with her frende away
This gentyll galaunt/whome of .viii. dayes & mo
She hath not seen/and yet it may be so
That on the morowe he wyll come for his wage
All hote and hasty/hongry in a rage
For perauenture he hath suche a tatche
That he hath morned sore/and keped watche
Bothe in the gardyns/also in the strete
And they ne myght yet of longe tymes mete
Ne speke togyder/but on the morowe whan
This man shall come/he wyll be hasty than
His appetyte and honger to aswage
Grete and wonder is/to speke of his courage
And it may fortune otherwyse I trowe
That they haue had leyser ynough to knowe
And so suche pleasure/as a man may thynke
But I dare neyther speke ne loke but wynke
Myn auctour wryteth/but so wyll not I
That she demeaneth her ryght wantonly
He sayth an hondred thynges she can make
That toucheteth loue/for her good frendes sake
And many a token wyll she shewe and sygne
Of loue//the whiche I cannot well deuyne
She maketh eke melancolyes amonge
Whiche to her husbande made she not of longe
Also her loue dooth besynes and payne
To do her pleasure/as he can agayne
So many praty Iapes he wyll begyn
That she grete Ioye/and conforte hath therin
And those suche maner Iapes ben or playe
That wedded men cannot/ne wyll assaye
And yf the can/afore or that they wedde
Those they forbere/and set at nought in bedde
Wherfore to shewe it to a wyfe or teche
The whiche more able is to rede or preche
Then for to lerne percase moche more than he
The good wyfe can in her necessyte
Therfore he wyll not teche her in that guyse
For she/than he more connynge is and wyse
Now whan this wyfe/her loue hath at her wyll
And they haue tyme/and leaser to fulfyll
Theyr appetytes/suche Ioyes as they shewe
Togyder/men haue herde of but a fewe
For there no wyght is/that can tell or saye
The pleasure that haue ben betwene them twaye
And so she hath had suche dysporte and spede
That nothynge prayseth she her husbandes dede
After the whiche pleasures/Ioye and game
As grete delyte/and pleasure taketh the dame
Of her good man/as one that tasteth wyne
Whiche hath reboyled/and wyll neuer fyne
After he hath dronke good wyne or yopocras
And other whyle yet/thus may stande the case
A drynker good whiche hath a feruent thyrste
And drynketh small and musty wynes fyrste
He thynketh them good ynough/his thyrst so grete
Is/and the dryenes of his mouthe and hete
But after he therof hath dronke his fyll
He fyndeth a cursed tarage and an yll
And yf that he sholde drawe agayne and taste
yet though he myght/he nolde vnto it haste
But in defaute of better wene it were
Ryght so knowe ye that this good wyfe dooth here
The whiche her louer/alway hath at nede
At her desyres/suche maters for to spede
And taketh a taste somtyme at request
Of her husbande/for lacke of her good gest
To passe the tyme and dryue the nyght awaye
But other whyle/whan he hath luste to playe
And she not so/she sayth lete me be styll
Abyde/and towardes mornynge do your wyll
Nay certes dame/so wyll I not sayth he
Wherfore I pray you/torne you vnto me
Nay loue she sayth/by god and by saynt Mayre
ye shall do me grete pleasure for to tarye
Unto the morowe/and then he torneth awaye
And dare not touche her ne no mo wordes saye
So all the nyght/he lyeth styll in rest
And slepeth metely well at her request
Then this good wyfe/that on her loue dooth thynge
Not carynge whyder her husbande flete or synge
Entendeth for to se vpon the morne
Her owne loue/whome she hath longe forborne
Sayth to her selfe/for she is not alone
My husbande shall not yet touche my persone
To morowe/and therfore erly she arose
And lefte her husbande/routynge in the nose
And maketh suche a countenaunce as she
A houswyfe good/and houssholder sholde be
And peraduenture the husbande is in bedde
Whyles that his wyfes maters is well spedde
By her good loue/and she hath her desyre
And he content is/with his wage and hyre
Thus all that day/she is so well apayde
That neyther seruaunt nedeth she ne mayde
In euery place/so ordreth she the house
And skyppeth aboute/as quyckely as a mouse
She clappeth to the doores and the wykket
And is as mery as it were a crykket
And somtyme it may fortune other wyse
Whan that she wyll not frome her bedde a ryse
But lyke a wanton or nycet play
Then wyll she playne/a lytell afore the day
And this good man dooth aske her what she eyleth
In trouthe she sayth/I thynke my herte me feyleth
Within my syde/I haue so grete a payne
And in my bely whiche do me sore constrayne
That it is meruayle/but as Cryst me saue
I deme syr that the same sykenes I haue
The whiche wonte was afore tyme me to take
And namely whan I ouermoche dyde wake
Torne you to me sayth he I you requyre
By god sayth she/I am as hote as fyre
For this nyght haue I had so sore a fytte
That lytell haue I slepte/or nothynge yet
Then this good man her clepeth with his arme
And feleth well that she is very warme
He sayth then/trouth now saye ye certaynly
But she hath other maner malady
Of feuers/than that she wyll tell or shewe
For peraduenture/this false wyle shrewe
Thought that she was with her loue in her dreme
Whiche made the swetynge frome her body streme
Then this good man/her felynge in this hete
Dooth couer her frome wynde/lest that the swete
Sholde in warde passe/all sodaynly or drynke
Whiche were a peryllous thynge as he dooth thynge
To her sayth he/dame kepe you well and sure
Lye styll in bedde/whyle your swete dooth endure
And I shall cause suche werkes to be doone
As nedefull is/and vp he ryseth soone
Perchaunce withouten fyre or candell lyght
Some what afore the day/within the nyght
And whan he so is vp all hastely
He maketh a fyre for her/whiche easely
Lyeth in her bedde/and laugheth by herselfe
That in the derke/he walketh lyke an elfe
An other tyme/yf this good man play wolde
With her/as I heretofore haue tolde
She well excuseth her/in suche a wyse
Full ofte/as ye haue herde me late deuyse
To scape away/euer wyll she fynde a mene
For she his dede/not prayseth worthe a bene
And yet hath he/grete besynes ywysse
At many a tyme/her for to coll and kysse
But god wote how she is eased therfore
If she be suche one/as is sayd tofore
Unto this man/the good wyfe wyll say thus
I wolde that it myght please our lorde Ihesus
ye neuermore sholde doo/ne yet assay
Suche thynges as ye or this haue herde me say
ye sholde forbere/and how what wolde yet not
Do it your selfe sayth he/nay god it wot
Sayth she/for yf yt ye suche thynge wolde spare
Bothe ye and I sholde moche the better fare
If I had knowen this or ye dyde me wedde
I neuer wolde haue gone vnto mannes bedde
What saye ye dame/now speketh this good man
For what encheson dyde ye mary than
I note quod she/but whan I was a mayde
So as my fader and my moder sayde
I dyde/and thought she spake suche wordes waste
yet peraduenture afore she toke a taste
What thynge is this to say/the good man sayth
I founde you neuer afore this by my fayth
To say the trouthe in your entencyon
But alway fast in this opynyon
I wote not by my soule she sayth my loue
This knoweth well the myghty lorde aboue
Ne were it not/for your pleasure alone
Now neuer wolde I do it by saynt Ihone
This man well eased is/as god it wolde
And to hym selfe he sayth/my wyfe is colde
Wherof he maketh none accompte ne tale
And peraduenture she is whyte or pale
Of nature feble/and complexcyon
But he hath her/in his subieccyon
And her he clepeth/and he kysseth so
That all his pleasure/hath he or she go
And this good wyfe/whiche for the tyme is there
Thynketh on other thynges and elles where
She wolde she were/and god wote heuely
Is she content/but well and womanly
She kepeth her kyll/and dooth hym as moche good
As cast a stone agaynst a pyece of wood
For helpe hym selfe/can he not ne socoure
And she nothynge is gladde of his laboure
How be it other dyde ryght well afore
And she asyde turneth her chere therfore
A lytell/for that tyme/so stant the cas
For this is not/the good wyne ypocras
Whiche she afore at other tymes had
This dooth her sore anoye/for it is bad
My loue she sayth/ye make me all a fole
Better it were for you vpon a stole
To sytte/and of suche besynes you rest
This good man whiche all taketh for the best
Kepeth hym as well/and derely as he may
That he of longe tyme wyll by no way
Do her dyspleasure/trespace or offence
The payne he dooth endure with pacyence
He doubteth fore the good wyfe to dysplease
And so he resteth/somwhat for his ease
For he beleueth well/that of the game
Nothynge she wolde/in ony wyse attaine
So putteth he hym selfe in suche dotage
That he supposeth well it were domage
To her complexyon she is so lowe
And symple eke suche wordes for to knowe
Bycause percase/that lately of her hewe
She is dyscoloured in a maner newe
Wherfore the mater better he beleueth
And it may fortune after thus it preueth
That this good wyfe a goune or other thynge
Of her husbande wolde haue to her lykynge
She knoweth well by his condycyon
Whan tyme is best to make a mocyon
Aduysynge in her mynde hym to begyle
To haue all her desyre/and on this wyle
Remembreth she/that whan they and no mo
In chambre be/and it dooth fortune so
That they in pleasures and delytes be
And in her mynde/she dooth perceyue and se
That he with some thynge wolde haue to do
Then wyll she put her good wyll there vnto
And to make hym suche dalyaunce and chere
That it is meruaylous to tell or here
For why/a woman lerned in that arte
A thousande thynges newe vpon her parte
Can do/to make good chere and dalyaunce
To whome she lust/suche is the guyse of fraunce
So in this dede the good man is well eased
For he is not accustomed to be pleased
With so good maner chere/and contenaunce
She clepeth hym with all the cyrcumstaunce
And on the vysage/kysseth she hym ofte
Where as she lyketh/with her lyppes softe
Then this good man in this maner dooth say
I deme ye wyll aske some thynge by my fay
Of me/and she sayth nay my frende as now
Nothynge but make good chere I craue of yow
For yf it pleased god/I wolde deuyse
To haue none other Ioye ne paradyse
Than euermore bytwene your armes twayne
To be/wherby exyled were my payne
Truely my loue/and also god me saue
None other blysse wolde I desyre to haue
For my mouthe touched not ne neuer shall
No mannes mouthe/but yours in specyall
Sauynge your cosyns and myn/well may ye wyt.
And not but whan ye lyst to commaunde it
Syr I beleue so gracyous and swete
There is no man as ye/ne to me mete
My loue sayth he/yf it a squyre were
I wolde beleue you for to be your fere
By/god she sayth/whan ones I dyde you se
Ferre of/the same syght so rauyshed me
And yet I dyde you but beholde a lyte
Than ye had all myn herte/loue and delyte
I wolde haue had none other by my choys
Though it had ben the dolphyn of vyennoys
I thynke almyghty god/wyll it so be
That I shall lyue with you/and you with me
For why/my fader and my moder bothe
Dyspleased were with me/and wonder wrothe
Bycause to haue suche one I nolde accorde
But neuer wolde I by our blyssed lorde
Though that one wolde haue stayne me wt a knyfe
yet thought I euer for to be your wyfe
And I ne knowe what thynge that this may be
Sauynge I thynke it is our destyne
Than dooth this man his pleasure as hym lyketh
And she is yelden ther withall and pyketh
A countenaunce and sayth/now wote ye what
I wyll demaunde/my loue refuse not that
To promyse me I you beseche and pray
The good man sayth/I wyll it not denay
yf that it be suche thynge as I may do
Ryght well dysposed wyll I be therto
My loue she sayth/the wyfe of suche a man
A furred goune with myneuers had on
This other daye/and yf that I durst craue
I wolde praye you/that suche one I may haue
Syr by my soule/for pryde or for enuy
I saye it not/ne for to be Ioly
But for by cause syr/that I thynke ye be
As able as her husbande to kepe me
And of more sustaunce/yf I sholde not lye
To maynteyne me/bothe well and honestlye
And she is not to make comparyson
That knowe ye well/as vnto my person
Ne syr yet to haue honoure/praye or laude
I saye it not for gyle/deceyte/ne fraude
But for this woman hath so grete a pryde
I wolde be gladde that she layde it asyde
And for none other thynge so haue I blys
Than this good man/whiche perauenture is
A grete nygarde/thynketh in his entente
That she of gounes hath suffycyente
And so a whyle he resteth in a thought
And sayth my loue yf that it be well sought
Haue ye not gounes ynowe you to suffyse
Of dyuers sortes furred in goodly wyse
yes syr she sayth/for yf I but a goune
Had and no mo/though it were a russet broune
I wolde not recke/and yet it were grete shame
Than sayth this man/now care ye not good dame
Now lete them speke/& talke ynough with sorowe
For we of them/nothynge do begge ne borowe
By god ye saye the trouthe/but wyll ye here
I am not lyke vnto a chamberere
Of theyrs/and not so well cladde ne be sene
As is my syster/ne as other bene
And yet of yeres/more olde I am than she
Whiche is a foule/and an euyll thynge to se
Then peraduenture/wyll this man consent
That shortely she shall haue all her entent
And what she wyll desyre in suche a rage
Whiche vnto hym/is nothynge but domage
For whan that her demaunde/and her request
She hath/for to be fresshe than is she prest
To go where feestes/and these daunces be
Wherof no maner prouffyte geteth he
Peraduenture she shall her dresse and paynt
And haue so lytell vertue and restraynt
That she in suche [vnthrifty] wyfe shall preue
And neuer man suppose wolde ne beleue
And yf this gowne her please not/wyll ye knowe
She hath an other loue/ye may well trowe
Whiche peraduenture hath no ryches grete
And is a galaunt fresshe/and can not gete
More than to holde/and maytene his degre
And therfore soone/aduyse her selfe dooth she
Upon an other galaunt stoute and gay
The whiche a dyamounde this other day
Whan that she was/at suche a maner feste
Unto her wolde haue gyuen as a geste
And sent vnto her/by her chamberere
Well twenty scutes/in his best manere
Or thyrty/but so soone shene them toke
How be it/she gaue a goodly loke
All though she gretely/dyde refuse as than
Wherby suche comforte/toke this gentylman
That he spake to her chamberere agayne
Whome he met goynge/towarde a fountayne
Or elles where/and to her thus he sayde
O Iane my veray loue/come hyder mayde
I haue to speke some thynges with you now
Well syr sayth she/whan that it pleaseth you
Good Iane he sayth/ye knowe ryght well the loue
That I vnto your maystresse haue/aboue
All other creatures/now I you pray
Tell me yf ye haue herde her of me say
Ony wordes/syr by my fayth sayth she
Nothynge certayne/but good and honeste
And she wolde you none euyll/hurte ne harme
With that he taketh her softely by the arme
Saynge good Iane my loue remembre me
That I to her may recommaunded be
And in good faythe here a goune I you gyue
With all my herte/and seruyce whyle I lyue
Now certes sayth the chamberere agayne
That redy is to take the goune and fayne
Whiche he to her presenteth as I say
Syr I wyll not receyue it by no way
By god sayth he fayre Iane/but yet ye shall
It is god wote/a symple gyfte at all
And then he sayth vnto the chamberere
I pray you that to morowe I may here
Some newes of you/and thus god be your guyde
Fare well syth ye/no lenger may abyde
Than to her maystres streyght she gooth/and sayth
Folkes haue I founde/in good poynt by my fayth
What be they sayth her maystresse/tell me now
The same it is/the whiche ryght well ye know
And he as yet/is in good cas and plyte
For he is taken/with the feuers whyte
In suche a wyse/that what is best to do
He knoweth not/loue dooth constrayne hym so
The wyfe sayth than/a goodly man he is
And gracyous/ye say full sothe ywys
The chamberere than sayth for in my dayes
Suche one I neuer knewe at all assayes
He is moost fayre full ryche/and well yshape
Moost true of loue withouten deceyte or Iape
And he can do ynough/his loue to please
A lady myght/with hym be well at ease
O Iane she sayth/by god I can not haue
No suche thynges of myn husbande as I craue
And yet yf he me hate/he playeth the fole
For we shall brynge hym/in to an other scole
By god my Iane/I haue so loued longe
This gentylman/though I haue kepte my tonge
That to none other/coude I gyue myn herte
So am I take/that I can not asterte
And this grete foly is/by god aboue
For ony woman thus to sette her loue
On ony man/that in this worlde is here
And I shall tell you why/Iane wyll ye here
For whan these men/on women lordes be
All sodoynly in moost necessyte
Causeles theo wyll forsake them and betraye
And therof make/a tryfle or playe
Then cometh this galaunt or that other parte
And to the chamberere he speketh a parte
Saynge in this maner/with handes vp
Togyder Ioyned/close as ony cup
My fayre loue Iane/ryght humbly I you pray
That ye wyll do/and helpe all that ye may
So that my werke ye well achyeue and spede
And I shall neuer fayle you at your nede
So ye my maystresse/shall be euermo
Then answereth she/and sayth yf I myght so
Syr for your loue/I wolde speke what I myght
But neuer medled I by day ne nyght
Of thynges suche/alas my loue sayth he
What shall I do/for goddes loue counceyle me
By god she sayth/best is for you to speke
your selfe/and vnto her your stomacke breke
All well to poynte/the mater comen is
For of her husbande/hath she late or this
A goune desyred/onely but of clothe
Whiche he denayed her/and she is wrothe
I counceyle you/to morowe that ye be
Tymely at chyrche/where as ye may her se
And whan it happeth you/with her to mete
So as it lyketh you/ye may her grete
There may ye shewe/your mater and entent
And suche as ye wyll/gyue to her present
All be it so/that she it wyll not take
yet more she wyll you prayse I vndertake
your largesse and your bounte shall she se
Alas my loue/me leuer were that she
Take it that I wyll gyue her/than refuse
Now syr sayth Iane/she wyll make her excuse
But I shall say you/what thynge ye shall do
After that ye/haue offred her vnto
That thynge the whiche/ye wolde her gyue in dede
And she refuse it/than your cause to spedde
Delyuer it to me/and at the lest
To cause her take it/I shall do my best
For I anone/can knowe her mynde and fele
Now truely gentyll Iane/ye say ryght wele
Then gooth the chamberere/in Crystes name
And whan she cometh home/she sayth madame
A longe tyme it is/yf it you please
Or that some folke be brought to hertes ease
And who is that good Iane/tell me anone
ywys medame/ye knowe the same mon
What do away/I pray you tell me how
It is fayre Iane/what tydynge wish you now
Certes madame/he wyll not fayle to morowe
In chyrche to speke with you/and all his sorowe
Unto you wyll he shewe/so as he can
ye may be sure/he is a gentylman
But well and wysely/gouerne you alway
And make it straunge/so as ye goodly may
Not ouer moche of straungenes ne dysdayne
Use may ye not/but so betwene twayne
Demeane yon womanly/in hope that grace
Therof shall growe within a lytell space
Upon the morowe this wyfe gooth to kyrke
As whan a thynge shall be/nedes must it wyrke
So dooth this galaunt/whiche thre houres & more
In good deuocyon god wote afore
Passeth the tyme/and draweth to a place
Where he the holy water/in her face
May cast/and for to kepe all thynge frome shame
He vnto other women dooth the same
The whiche with her/be present than and there
And they thanken hym in theyr best maner
But this pooreman/wolde do them more seruyce
If he so myght/and dooth hym well aduyse
That this good wyfe/styll testeth in her sete
Lyuynge in hope/some grace of her to gete
And sayth his bedes demeanynge hym with all
As swetely as an ymage in a wall
And god wote/she is dressed proprely
After her power/whiche he well dooth espy
Beholdynge how she kneleth in her pewe
So well apparayled/with so fresshe a hewe
And vnto her/anone he draweth nere
Where at theyr leyser/they do speke in fere
But nothynge wyll she say/but herkeneth styll
Unto the tyme/that he hath spoken his wyll
Ne nothynge of hym/then wyll she receyue
But so she answereth hym/that he perceyue
May well/that she hym loueth peramoure
And that she dredeth not/but dyshonoure
Wherof he is well eased/aud ago
Frome her/and frome the chamberere also
And so he walketh forthe his stacyon
Then entren they in to collacyon
That is to wete/the maystresse and her mayde
Remembrynge well/suche wordes as were sayd
And shortely/so conclude vpon theyr dede
How that theyr werke/they may perfourme & spede
And then the chamberere sayth secretely
Madame I knowe well/he hath grete enuy
To speke to me but I wyll to hym say
That ye nothynge for hym/by ony way
Wyll do/and therfore wrothe I wyll me make
For pure pyte/the whiche I on hym take
And I shall to hym say/our syre is out
So he at nyght may come withouten doute
Into your chambre secretely I trowe
I shall hym let/as though ye dyde not knowe
And I shall shewe as I were wrothe/wherfore
He shall you pray/well better and the more
And syth he afterwarde/shall lenger tary
The same thynge I wyll do brynge and cary
Whiche he wolde gyue you/for I knowe that he
To morowe wyll delyuer it to me
And I to hym shall say/so god me saue
That ye it neyther/wyll receyue ne haue
And whan it happeth shall/that after soone
The proces and the actes be well doone
Wherfore the goune/he gyueth you in rewarde
The whiche afore he put in to my warde
Then ye therfore/shall chyde me fast and blame
Afore hym/saynge/damoysell fye for shame
Wherfore dyde ye/this thynge with you retayne
Why wolde not ye delyuer it agayne
But how someuer it come to passe/knowe ye
That I shall put all thynge in certaynte
For some there be that haue ryght many a wyle
Wherby innumerable they begyle
Of women good/and neuer can be styll
Now Iane/frome this daye forwarde do your wyll
For the gooth this galaunt than/and so dooth mete
The chamberere/somdele without the strete
And asketh her/what newes she hath brought
Of her maystresse/by god sayth she ryght nought
I haue her founde/so daungerous and straunge
That sore I drede shame wyll make her to chaunge
But for because I medled haue so ferre
Thynkynge no tyme is/lenger to deferre
This mater/I shall say you what is best
That ye may do/to brynge your mynde in rest
Thyder shall ye go this nyght to werke and spede
your maters/and yet haue I so grete drede
That she wyll to her husande me accuse
Or to her frendes/but I thynke and muse
That yf she wyll receyue/suche thynges as ye
To her wolde gyue/your dede soone spedde shall be
And yet by god/I shall proue and assay
To cause her take it shortely yf I may
For well it is/at poynt to brynge aboute
The mater/for her husbande ryden out
Is now/and hath denyed her vtterly
A goune/wherof she hath so grete enuy
That it is meruayle/and this galaunt tho
Twenty scutes/or thyrty/elles mo
Delyuereth vnto her/and Iane sayth than
By god ye be an honourable man
But well ye se/how I aduyse me
And yet I drede that troubled shall I be
For neuer dyde I thus/for man or now
As I for you haue done/I make auowe
And wyll ye knowe/how grete daungere that I
Haue put me in/and I shall tell you why
For yf so be/that knowen were one worde
That ony thynge I sholde do by our lorde
Herin/I sholde haue euer suche a blame
That neuer after/myght I loke for shame
But for bycause I truste you perfytely
I shall me put/in this grete Ieoperdy
Knowynge that she/you loueth well at all
And that our syre is out/wherfore ye shall
This same nyght/come fayre and honestly
Unto her chambre/and I secretely
Wyll let you in/for neyther barre ne locke
Shall cause you eyther/for to call or knocke
And thus at .xii. houres within the nyght
ye must walke in the derke withouten lyght
For that tyme sadly dooth she slepe alway
And there is but a lytell chylde in fay
To her in bedde than shall ye go and lye
For I can se/none other remedy
And peraduenture your dede shall be good
Now whan a man/all naked is by the rode
In bedde with her/that naked is and bare
A full grete thynge it is and she vnware
And whan she seeth none other choys ne rede
As styll she lyeth then/as she were dede
So sore she dredeth shame and vylany
That in the derke she may not se to crye
For though she answere straungely on the day
At suche a sodayne countre she ne may
O Iane my loue/this gentyll galaunt sayth
I neuer shall haue peny by my fayth
But ye therof that one halfe and well more
Shall haue alway/so wele ye do therfore
Whan nyght shall come the galaunt gothe a pace
As Iane hym hath/aduysed to the pleace
And she vnto her maystresse secretely
Hath shewed all the processe manerly
And whan this galaunt comen is and crepte
Into the bedde/she letteth as she slepte
This galaunt there/her shortely doth embras
Then starteth she and sayth/who is there alas
My loue sayth he/no more for it is I
A by the sacrament of god I crye
She sayth it shall not come to passe yet so
And thynketh for to call/on Iane whiche tho
No worde to her agayne answerde or sayd
Ha now I se it wele/I am betrayed
Myn auctor sayth/the fyght togyder bothe
In dyuers wyse/and she is passynge wrothe
And fast she panteth/bothe for fere and yre
Whiche is as angrye/as the brennynge fyre
And sore abasshed of this rekenynge
ye may well knowe/it is a pyteous thynge
A woman onely whan she lacketh helpe
No more of strength is then a lytell whelpe
But yf it had not ben for drede of shame
More hyghe she wold haue cryed in goddes name
Then she dyde than but all was for the best
That she to saue her honoure so dyde rest
Was neuer fythyll/shalmeulx/pype ne rote
That better dyde accorde in euery note
Of musyk/or in gemetrye then they
Whiche enterpryse/gode tyme agayne to play
Thus for the husbande that tyme beynge oute
Ryght well to poynt ye werke they brynge aboute
Now hath this wyfe ye gowne that was denayed
By her good man/and she is wele apayed
And for bycause he nolde it to her gyue
It shall cost hym full dere yf she may lyue
All be it so that he in tymes afore
Wele more then it was wrothe hath payed therfore
And this good wyfe/all thynges to excuse
And bycause no wyght herof sholde muse
Her moder wyll she cause with dylygence
This goune to gyue her in his presence
All boubtes to auoyde that he may haue
Thus honestly she can her worshyp saue
And she her moder maketh to byleue
That this clothe she hath bought as she can preue
Of those lytell thynges whiche she solde
Wherof her husbande yet she neuer tolde
So he therof dothe vnderstonde no dele
Or parauenture he may knowe it wele
And so it happeth ofte with her and mo
After this goune another cometh also
That is to wyte/a newe thynge must be had
For her that she/may honestly be clad
Also of gyrdels harneysed two or thre
Of syluer gylte/elles angry wyll she be
Or other thynges/wherof her husbande than
Wyll be as sore dyspleased as he can
The whiche is veray melancolyous
Or lyke to Naball auarycyous
As I haue sayd afore/and he dothe doubte
Or narowly he pryeth and loketh oute
So that he wele perceyue hathe some thynge
Wherin he toke no pleasure nor lykynge
Or vnto hym it hathe be tolde or shewed
Or her good loue/this galaunt all beshrewed
By some fast frende of his this hath he knowen
For at longe rennynge out it shall be blowen
Then entreteth he in rage of Ialousy
And putteth hym in to an agony
Anone he maketh semblaunt to go oute
And cometh at nyght/starynge all aboute
Full sodaynly supposynge in his mynde
Oute of araye some folkes to fynde
The whiche is not so easely to be done
Then hydeth he hym in his chambre sone
And by auenture/some thynge dothe espye
Wherfore he chydeth and she can wele replye
She feleth that she wylye is and sage
And that she comen is of good lygnage
This sely man remembreth hym agayne
Of his frendes how they haue spoken playne
So they in ryot and grete debate
And sorowe and care/shall rest vpon his pate
For Ioyes shall he neuer haue in dede
Fro that tyme forth/but euer gnawe and fede
On heuynesse/and euer amonge a lye
Shall cast be in the vysage prately
His cheuysaunce/shall lessen sodaynly
Also his pore body shall be drye
So shall he cesse of werkes and besynesse
And neuer lyue in wele nor lustynesse
Thus closed in the lepe/abyde shall he
These paynes takynge for prosperyte
For yf that he this lepe were not within
yet neuer wolde he/tary rest ne blynne
Unto the tyme that he therto myght crepe
And put hym selfe in to the same more depe
Thus he ne wolde that otherwyse he were
Ryght so this poore man/as ye may here
Shall euer languysshe in captyuyte
And depe within the lepe shall barred be
So wretchely his dayes shall he ende
Fro suche auenture god vs all defende


Here endeth the fyfth Ioye of maryage.

Here begynneth the syxte Ioye of maryage.
The syxte Ioye of maryage it is so
That he whiche was wedded longe ago
Endured hath the trauayles/and the payne
As I afore haue sayd/all or certayne
Of them/and hath a wyfe especyall
Dyuers of her condycyons at all
A veray subtyll false and wyle shrewe
She is/as I here after shall you shewe
Cautelous wylfull/and eke malycyous
Frowarde/wanton/nyse and dysdaynous
And her husbande a good man is and playne
The whiche her loueth well/and she agayne
Loueth hym I trowe/wherfore alway he
So as he may by possybylyte
Dothe vnto her/all pleasures that he can
For she of body is a good woman
How be it holly her entencyon
Is sette so fast and her oppynyon
That euer by some crafte or subtyllyte
Fayle wyll she not to haue the soueraynte
And of her husbande werkes wyll she knowe
Wheder he of his degree be hyghe or lowe
So wyll she medle ofte answere and speke
yf myster be/and many maters breke
Suche is of her the dysposycyon
And after nature the condycyon
Of all wyues/what husbandes so they haue
Or at leest/the maystrye wyll they craue
For tho this wyfe be wele & wante ryzt nought
yet euer wyll she set her mynde and thought
To brynge her husbande/into wo and care
And make hym thynke and muse/euyll fare
And other whyles it may fortune so
That he and she in chambre and no mo
Be all the nyght and som what of the daye
In theyr delytes Ioye dysporte and playe
And they togyder kysse and make good chere
But he aryseth fyrst that theyr dynere
May redy be/and also he must thynke
Oo other thynges mo then mete and drynke
The hous aboute and whan tyme is to dyne
He calleth her but she wyll not enclyne
Unto his speche but sendeth downe anone
Her lytell chylde or of her seruauntes one
Whiche vnto hym then shall these wordes saye
Syr in good fayth she wyll not dyne to daye
Wele sayth the good man/go agayne in hast
And byd her come anone to this repast
Then gothe the seruaunt or the chylde and sayth
My mayster byddeth you come now by my fayth
To dyner sone for he wyll nothynge eate
Tyll ye be come and set with hym at mete
Go say to hym I wyll not dyne sayth she
Upon whiche answere streyght to her gothe he
And sayth to her what ayleth you my dere
She speketh not/wherfore he draweth nere
And sayth what chere my loue and is dysmayde
How be it he hath sene suche pagentes playde
Afore that tyme/but for request ne worde
That can be sayd she nyll go to the borde
But playe ryght so/and perchaunce in no wyse
Wyll dyne that day for thynge he can deuyse
Another tyme/vnder her arme a syde
He ledeth her as thoughe she were a bryde
And they to dyner go/but colde is all
The vytaylles on the table grete and small
For so longe hath she saused them to tarye
Thus often tymes wyll she do contrayre
To reason/and suche countenaunce and chere
With maners wyll she make at her dynere
That no thynge wyll she ete/ne bytte
For whiche so dull and mate he is of wytte
And lyke a mased beest for wele the more
He loueth her/and hath her dere therfore
For suche melancolyes she dothe hym gyue
In thought and heuynesse to cause hym lyue
Wherin ryght wele she dothe and cunnyngly
Syth he wyll suffre it so curteysly
For why a woman for to gete the grace
Of hym whome she hath bounden in her lace
Hath not to do/syth that he loueth her wele
With herte/body/mynde and euery dele
And dooth her all the pleasures that he may
Her nedeth not/with suche one for to play
But she must set her thought holy to gete
The loue of hym/the whiche her dooth foryete
And by her setteth/none accompte ne tale
She sholde assay to make suche one auale
Unto her hande by chere and countenaunce
By pleasaunt speche/with all the cyrcumstaunce
A fayre dede/she thynketh to haue wrought
Whan she her husbande/in to care hath brought
It happeth other whyle this man gooth out
Her werkes/and his besynes about
And whan he home warde dooth retorne agayne
With hym he bryngeth of his frendes twayne
In to his hous/bycause he hath to do
With them/or elles ryght well it may be so
That they of hym haue perfyte cognysaunce
Or elles they be of his acquayntaunce
Whan he without is/as is sayd before
His yoman or his page/he sendeth afore
Unto his wyfe/and prayeth her hertely
For to make redy/well and honestly
The houses all about/and other thynge
For suche frendes as he wolde with hym brynge
Bycause to them/he gretely is beholde
Also he prayeth her hastely that she wolde
Ordayne vytayles to make them well at ease
For what he can/he wyll do them to please
And he with them percase hath for to do
Now gooth this messenger his wyfe vnto
And salueth her and fayth/madame truely
My mayster cometh/and in his company
Two of his frendes/men of good estate
For to be lodged here this nyght algate
Wherfore he prayeth you ryght specyally
To se the souper dyght be/and redy
And she dooth answere saynge/what haue I
And do with/feestes/or of his company
Why cometh he not hymselfe to se it dyght
I wote not sayeth the seruaunte by thys lyght
But thus to say/he hath commaunded me
Thou arte accursed knaue by god/sayth she
This felawe than holdeth his peas anone
And she in to a chambre is agone
Suche one she is/whiche dooth none other wyse
And wors is/she hath a praty guyse
For all the seruauntes here and there about
Bothe one and other/shortely she/sendeth out
And ouer this/yf chamberere there be
Or of her doughters/one/or two/or thre
The whiche at home abyde/be taught how they
Unto the good man of the house shall say
Whan he cometh home/and now he comen is
And calleth vpon a doughter fyrst of his
Or elles a chamberere/and sayth is all
Thynges redy made/the whiche we nede shall
In fayth she sayth/my maystresse is full seke
your seruauntes and your meyny be to seke
And certaynly as yet/nothynge is done
Wherwith the good man waxeth angry soone
How be it/bothe his frendes forth withall
He bryngeth them curteysly in to the hall
Or in to other places elleswhere
As they be of estate/and fyndeth there
Nothynges redy for to make them gladde
It is no nede to aske/yf he be sadde
For perauenture his frendes whiche he brought
Perceyue ryght wele enpryntynge in theyr thought
That where he sente his seruaunt or his page
Afore vnto his wyfe on his massage
They myght wele thynke that his commaundement
Was not so sure as acte of parlayment
This good man then dothe call his folkes on hye
But none of them he fynde can nor espye
Excepte a pore knaue or elles a mayde
That nought can do/and then he in a brayde
Gothe to his wyues chambre sodaynly
And her to speketh hygh and hastely
Wherfore haue ye not done I you demaunde
As by my messagere/I dyde comaunde
A syr she sayth so many thynges ye
Commaunde/that by the holy trynyte
One shall not vnderstande ne knowe wele how
What for to do/o saynt Mary now
Then sayth this man/clawynge fast his hede
Now of this worlde/the moost vngodely dede
And euyll haue ye done and vncurteysly
Se here the folkes/that I moost specyally
Am bounde vnto/how may I do therto
Sayth she/what wolde ye syr that I sholde do
Now with your cosyns moche to do haue we
It sheweth wele an vnwyse man be ye
Do as ye wyll after your guyse for I
Care not therof a rysshe/nor yet a fly
Fayre dame sayth he I you demaunde wherfore
ye haue sente out/your seruauntes heretofore
Knewe I quod she/that ye suche besynesse
Hadd akeu on hande/how be it neuerthelesse
She sente them forthe/in dyspyte wyttyngly
Of this good man/afore all by and by
Then he the whiche wyll suffre and obeye
Unto her faute/dothe no mo wordes saye
But fro her gothe with care and heuy chere
For parauenture suche his gestes were
That he had leuer/an hondreth scutes and more
Haue spente but she/nothynge dothe care therfore
She hath hym sene and knoweth he wyll not byte
And that afore he was not wonte to smyte
Shortly to speke he torneth hym aboute
And of his folkes gadreth in a route
Suche as he fyndeth and dothe the best he can
Towelles of werke he demaundeth than
Fayre/fyne/whyte and other naperye ware
Of dyapre and byddeth that they none spare
And table clothes or they to souper go
But of the good wyfe/he is answerde so
Towaylles she sayth ryght good & fyne there be
And for moche better men/in theyr degre
Then be these folkes/and of as good a place
They gete none other as euer haue I grace
These other clothes in vessels ben to stepe
As wasshynge tubbes/layed in the water depe
How be it for the towaylles I say not this
For erly haue I lost the kayes ywys
Of the dores/se how the chamberere
Dothe leke them besyly bothe here and there
And of the bedde she torneth to and fro
The strawe/also the good wyfe thus sayth tho
I wote not what I haue done of late so bad
My wytte and eke my heed is made so madde
With besynes/and mased is my brayne
That where for to renne/I ne wote certayne
Truely sayth he/I am begyled wele
The coffres shall I breke now euery dele
A fayre thynge do ye than/the good wyfe sayth
And I shall tary with you by my fayth
I wolde ye had them all in pyeces broken
So that they neuer sholde be shytte ne loken
Suche thynge somtyme a man may do in haste
That after warde he shall repent the waste
Than how to do/he knoweth not what is best
But for all this/he is in peas and rest
Supposynge that she sheweth hym the trouthe
And forth with all/without ony slouthe
Unto the table go they for to suppe
Of fresshe pypes/then to fyll the cuppe
Grete nede it were for wyne wherof they spende
Gooth lowe/and draweth fast vnto an ende
And it as now/is neyther good ne able
Well for to serue these gentylmen at table
And though that he byd one for to go
He geteth none/bycause she wyll not so
And as for these fruyte or other thynge
At his commaundement/or elles byddynge
None can be had/for yf he wyll them haue
Unto his neyghboure he must sende his knaue
Afore the table his page and theyrs stande
And them amonge they compte and vnderstande
Seynge the wyues cursed loke and chere
They say by cause our maysters comen ben here
The wyfe is wrothe but after souper then
Tyme dooth approche yt these good gentylmen
Shall go to bedde/and this man dothe entrete
His wyfe for shetes whyte/but he can gete
None good ne fyne/bycause erly that day
Afore the good wyfe lost hath euery kay
Hedshetes wolde he haue/and pylowes whyte
And she them kepeth frome his ghestes quyte
In comen shetes so all that nyght they ly
But erly in the mornynge hastely
These frendes aryse/and homwarde them auaunce
Whiche haue wele knowen the wyues countenauce
Theyr pages by the waye haue comynynge
Wherof the mannes page made rekenynge
To them afore and laughen by the way
Nothynge content the whiche togyder say
They wyll not theder come agayne of longe
Suche comenynge these pages haue amonge
Better had ben this good man to haue lost
Moche of his good then to haue ben theyr host
And so to brynge them theder to his shame
Wherof the wyfe all holly was to blame
The same morowe/I meruayle moche sayth he
Unto his wyfe/o benedycyte
Of your maners/for why I knowe not how
I shall demeane or gouerne me with yow
Aue maria/with me is moche to do
She sayth. I nourysshe chekyns duckes pygges also
And euermore I laboure and I spynne
And do all that I may some thynge to wynne
yet can I not one houre haue on the day
Of rest ne ease/and ye trauayle alway
Aboute nothynge/but euer wast and spende
And of our goodes destroye and make an ende
Upon suche men with whiche I nothynge haue
To do/thus ye wyll neyther gete ne saue
With them sayth he/yes these good men be they
That bothe vs helpe/anoye or hyndre may
Then sadly he remembreth in his mynde
How that his wyfe so gentyll is and kynde
That whan a galaunt cometh he dothe thynke
Anone she wyll cause hym to ete and drynke
And vpon hym no good thynge shall be spared
Wherfore to her hath sayd and declared
That he wyll not this galaunt come more there
And thervppon he byddeth her forbere
To drawe hym to her hous/for he nothynge
There hath to do/and she sayth I shall brynge
Hym whan me lust and cause him to come ynne
Wherwt gret noyse bytwene them doth begyne
The good man angrye then these wordes sayth
Wherin he sheweth wele the fole he playeth
Now by the sacrament of god yf I
After this tyme can fynde or elles espye
He wt you speke/I shall make you more wrothe
Then euer ye were/all be you leue or lothe
Now by my fayth she sayth nothynge I recke
All thoughe he were hye hanged by the necke
But now I se ryght wele/it is full sothe
A good woman the whiche no synnes dothe
Shall haue asmoche reproue/& more dyffaine
Then she ye whiche dothe wyckednes attayne
She sayth yf that I suche a woman were
Whiche dyde her gouerne euyll in manere
I had no nede then for to be dysmayde
For moche better she had done she sayde
Then I now do/and thus he and the wyue
Togyder make a noyse/and so they stryue
This in auenture/by the malyce grete
Of hym or her/in suche a fume and hete
They fall/that they wyll not togyder ly
Of longe tymes in this melancoly
And that it is/that she desyreth sores
For this squyer/of whome he spake afore
Shall perauenture come within the nyght
In at the backe dore out of his syght
Or elles clyme in at a wyndowe hye
And to the wyues bed go secretely
Not for to synne/ne do her hurte ne harme
But in her good mannes stede to kepe her warme
For of her bodye she was good and trewe
As it is sayd afore/or elles of newe
Myn auctor varyeth somwhat in his tale
And taketh a kukko for the nyghtyngale
After all this the thynge is well appeased
And for bycause the good wyfe shall be pleased
This good man dothe begynne her for to flatre
And she can suffre hym to speke and clatre
For euer wolde a woman flatred be
And lyghtly/troweth it in certaynte
yf it in praysynge be of her godenesse
Of beaute bounte/or of/gentylnesse
Thus passeth he the tyme tyll at the laste
His wyfe he fyndeth somtyme spekynge faste
Unto this forsayd squyre in his place
Or in the chyrche/or elles where as she was
At suche a feest and in to Ialousye
He entreth in his mynde/more feruentlye
Then euer a dayes afore he dyde
By meane wherof so now it is betyde
Of worldly Ioye he dothe hymselfe defayte
And entreth in to the thought and awayte
He lyeth and requereth subtylly
Her to espye or take with some foly
Wherin he playeth the very fole alwaye
Bycause the noble herte of man ne maye
Ne ought of womens werkes to enquere
For yf he sholde/the faute knowe and here
Ones of his wyfe/he myght fall in suche plyte
That medecyne neuer sholde hym hele ne quyte
And then his shame/he sercheth in his mynde
Enquerynge fast and he the same doth fynde
Good reason is that he endure therby
The shame whiche he afore sought besyly
As in this case I counte hym cast away
And lost/for on his body and goodes alway
Grete peryll renneth & aege cometh hym vpon
So is he folysshe lyke a beestly man
In euery thynge by reason of the play
And he within the lepe I dare well say
yclosed is/in sorowe and heuynesse
Whiche he doth take/for Ioye and gladnesse
Seynge that he/ne wolde but it were so
Thus shall he dwell in paynes euermo
And so shall ende his dayes wretchydly
Syth he wyll fynde/none other remedy


Here endeth the .vi. Ioye of maryage.

Here begynneth the .vii. Ioye of maryage
The .vii. Ioye of maryage to knowe
Is as I fynde it wryten on the rowe
Whan that somtyme/the man whiche maryed is
Hathe founde a wyfe/as I haue sayd or this
Whiche is a felowe good/at euery season
And neuer wyll refuse nor forsake reason
Whan it is profered her/but knowe ye may
Thoughe she be good/as ye haue herde me say
And of her body chast or otherwyse
yet euer hathe she suche maner guyse
The whiche a rule is named generall
In maryage and vsed ouerall
For euery wyfe byleueth verayly
And holdeth this oppynyon stedfastly
That her husbande the weykest creature
And moost wretche is & leest werke may endure.
As in regarde/vnto the secrete crafte
Of all other whiche in the worlde be lafte
And so it happeth ofte/and hathe ben sene
That whan a yonge lusty man and grene
Dothe marye hym vnto a good true mayde
And they theyr pleasures take and be apayde
In suche a wyse that maruayle is to here
And take all that he may within a yere
Of theyr dysporte/or elles in two or thre
Or mo in dyuers wyse so may it be
Wherby theyr youthe is greatly waxen colde
But yet the good wyfe by an hundreth folde
Her wasteth not so moche/as dothe the man
In no maner for she so wysely can
Her body kepe/fro besynesse and payne
With laboure wyll she not herselfe constrayne
Nor yet with pensyfnesse to saye the sothe
With care ne sorowe/so as the good man dothe
And though they dyde but play/and make solace
yet wolde she not waste in so shorte a space
As her good man dothe in this secrete plays
Wherwith then he/she bettre may awaye
But trouthe it is/whan women chyldre bere
And they be grete/lyuynge in drede and fere
Whan they drawe nere theyr tyme of chyldes byrthe
They suffre peynes grete withouten myrthe
Myn auctor sayth that it is to accounte
To mannes peyne/the whiche all dothe surmounte
He sayth the husbande peynes be wele more
The whiche must thynke/and care all thynges fore
Aboute his housholde/as he hathe to do
He suffreth anger trouble peyne and wo
But of the sorowe/and the anguysshe grete
Of chyldes byrthe/all dothe he clene forgete
How be it many wordes dooth he speke
Whiche in his brest he myght well shyt and steke
For I wyll not those wordes put in ryme
But holde my tongue/and speke whan it is tyme
He sayth these husbandes besy be to gete
But wyues do no good/but drynke and ete
And after this it falleth saunce fayle
That for suche thoughtes/labours and trauayle
The husbande gretely wasted is and spent
Wherfore his mynde he setteth and entent
Some elles where/applyenge not the game
More then of custome/for to please our dame
And also yf he wolde the fayte assay
For lacke of power/perchaunce he ne may
Perfourme his appetyte/desyre and wyll
Wherfore as in that cace/he holdeth hym styll
But this good wyfe/yet leueth not the crafte
Her luste/ne courage be not her byrafte
As hotte she is as euer she was before
And so it is that he may do no more
Thenne for be cause/her lyueree/and her fee
Of her delytes dayly mynysshed be
Whiche she was wont to haue of her good mon
In noyse ryot bothe they falle anone
Lyke as her leuere/mynyssheth lyte and lyte
They so begynne to gren as they wolde byte
And though this lyuere/wyll her not suffyce
yet euyll dothe she not/for she is wyse
But she ne leueth of deme/that he
In power is/moche wors thenne other be
And she the more belueth it by reason
Because afore she neuer in her season
Non other man/but hym onely assayed
Of whome she neyther was content ne payed
And he to her was in suffycyente
Without her lyuere ofte she came and wente
And yet by reason/and the ordynaunce
Of holy chirche/it is a suffysaunce
One man vnto one woman to be knyt
But other whyle/the wyfe wyll Ieoparde it
For to assaye of other/two or thre
yf they so symple as her husbande be
And thenne she whiche/yt crafte so dare assaye
Parauenture beleueth it alwaye
More certaynly thenne she hathe done afore
And suche a felawe taketh she therfore
That of the crafte/ye whiche she dothe begynne
But yf it be for drede/she may not blynne
Or elles/with plente/she be satysfyed
She wyll not be content/ne pacyfyed
For whan this felawe cometh happyly
He is enfamyned wherfore meruaylously
Dothe he/and she her husbande thynketh on
Reputynge hym/a veray semple mon
And of ryght lytell power she byleueth
The better for so surely she it preueth
For suche thynges as somtyme cometh by stelthe
Is better for a sykely wyues helthe
Then suche as she at home hathe but a lyte
Hauynge therto no lust nor appetyte
And thus she is in fast byleue and sure
Experyence alwaye dothe her assure
And sometyme so fortuneth it that she
Another gossyp/whiche hathe maryed be
And knoweth reason/whan it is to her shewed
Good in her maners beynge and wele thewed
The whiche byleueth eke that her husbande
As dothe that other/for she can vnderstande
And parauenture she hathe taken assaye
Of other mo as ye haue herde me saye
Wherof wele gretter is the werke and dede
Then of the good man hauynge lytell mede
Whiche gyueth not hym selfe to so grete payne
For why he knoweth wele/that for certayne
Nyghe hym alwaye good plente shall he fynde
But knowe ye wele/that many many men by kynde
Use contrary to this that women do
For surely they byleuen euermo
What maner women so they haue and wedde
They be moost wyse/and best for them in bedde
Of all other/but this rule other whyle
Do fayle/and that is by deceyte and gyle
Amonge rybauldes lyuynge in despeyre
To whome no wytte ne reason dothe repayre
Ofte it is sene/that maryed men wyll prayse
The maners of theyr wyues and vpreyse
And euery verture whiche they in them fynde
They shewe supposynge/surely in theyr mynde
That better women/be there none then they
Ne lyke to them none can be founde they saye
In goodnesse ferre all other they excede
Suche appetyte to them haue they at nede
Thus dothe myn auctor speke of wedded men
And forth withall thus he declereth then
Saynge/that gladly ofte it hathe ben sene
That whan a woman/hathe a wydowe bene
Then shortely to another wyll she marye
And other whyles she nyll abyde ne tarye
A moneth but she wyll her wedde agayne
For to assaye and proue in certayne
yf that another of his power be
So symple in his werkes as was he
The whiche out of this worlde of late is past
And thus in wedlocke she is bounden fast
Wherin she kepeth neyther trouthe ne fayth
But wasteth folyly myn auctor sayth
Loseth and gyueth moche goodes awaye
For whiche her husbande many a wery daye
Hath had in loboure/or yt they haue ben goten
After his degree/but all hathe she forgoten
By many maner wayes dothe she spende
As well vpon her lemman/or her frende
As olde baudes/and on her confessour
A frere prechour/or elles a lymatour
Whiche yerely hathe of her a pensyon
For she of hym hathe absolucyon
Suche folkes haue grete power of the pope
For to absoyle/enserche/and for to grope
The conscyence of wydowes and of wyues
And them to teche how they shall lede theyr lyues
This man her husbande on ye other syde
As warely/as he can dothe hym gyde
Withouten grete expence or elles coste
And casteth accompte/what he hath wonne or loste
Of marchaundyses/after suche degree
As he is of/and shortly fyndeth he
That in his godes he gothe faste abakke
And knoweth well ynough there is grete lakke
Thenne he to syghe/and sorowe dothe begynne
And whan that he/his compter is withynne
Unto his wyfe/the whiche he loueth more
Thenne that he dothe hym selfe he speketh therfore
And thus he sayth myn owne loue verayment
I knowe not how our goodes be waste or spent
Or where they be become I can not telle
Golde or syluer wherwith/we bye and selle
Wyne corne/and other marchaundyse
And yet alwaye I take hede and aduyse
The beest wyse that I can loke or espye
And haue to euery thynge/as good an eye
As is possyble vnto me to haue
Oure goodes for to gouerne rule and saue
So that one gowne/that good is for my corce
I dare not haue/A syr she sayth no force
And whan that he is/in a secrete place
Unto his wyfe he speketh/this percase
Truely/but late it hathe be shewed to me
Some wordes whiche dyspleasaunt to me be
By god my loue ryght so it dooth appere
For of longe tyme ye haue made euyll chere
She sayth/I haue ben sore affrayed and dradde
That ye some hurte or heuynesse haue hadde
Or that some of your frendes had ben past
To god/or had ben kepte in pryson fast
With englysshe men/ytake at some affray
Nay nothynge so/but moche wors than ye do say
It is/Aue maria sayth she than
If it please you/tell me good gentylman
What thynge it is/fayne wolde I that I knewe
Certes sayth he/my faythfull frende and true
Hath shewed me/that suche one maynteneth yow
And other thynges he hath sayd ynow
Then she begynneth for to crosse and blis
And many meruayles maketh she of this
Demurely she begynneth for to smyle
My loue she sayth/make no wors chere a whyle
Of all my synnes/as quyte I wolde I were
And eke towarde almyghty god as clere
As I of hym am/and she therwithall
Her handes lyfteth/and letteth them fall
Upon her heed/and sayth myn owne herte dere
By this all onely wyll I not now swere
But to the deuyll gyue I all at ones
Under my handes/all be it flesshe and bones
If euer mannes mouthe yet touched myne
Except your mouthe/your kynnesmen and cosyne
And neuer but at your commaundement
The whiche ye knowe was but in good entent
Fy/fy sayth she/what maner is it
I am ryght gladde that ye do me to wit
I doubted it had ben some other thynge
But now I knowe from whens cometh this lesynge
And all these wordes vnto you shewed of newe
But for what cause wolde god that ye knewe
He hathe it sayd to you for by my fayth
Ryght sore abassed wolde ye be she sayth
For so moche as he maketh hym your good frende
But I ryght well am eased in my mynde
For he awaked hathe/the slepynge catte
My loue sayth he now tell me what is that
Syr care ye not therof she sayth but lyte
An other tyme I shall do you to wyte
Truely sayth he I will knowe it anone
By god my loue ye be an hastly mon
She sayth I was ryght wrothe because that ye
Made hym to come so ofte for to be
Within youre hous/but I forbere to saye
Because that ye loued hym so well alwaye
Tell me sayth he/certes my loue as now
She sayth no nede it is to tell it you
I praye you she it me so as it is
He sayth. And she thenne swetely dothe hym kysse
And clyp saynge my dere loue and myn lorde
Ha that false traytour whiche make wolde dyscorde
Bytwexte vs tweyne/and do you euyll or gryfe
God gyue hym veray vengeaunce and myschyefe
Tell me my loue sayth he/what maner wyght
He is that thus wolde do/and what he hyght
Now in good fayth my lorde whome I loue beste
Aboue all thynges that in this worlde do reste
That false traytour and that sclaunderour
Hathe prayed me to be his paramoure
The whiche ye trust and louen so entyer
This hathe he ben aboute more thenne two yere
But I alwayes haue hym full well refused
With grete payne/and maners that I vsed
And whan he came in to your hous ye thought
It for your your loue had ben/but it was nought
For with his false flatterynge wordes gay
He came for no cause/but you to betray
He neuer ceased he tyll tyme that I
Sayhd tat I wolde tell you it certaynly
Nothynge herof to me was charge ne cure
For of my selfe alway was I so sure
And though I suche vnthryfty maners hate
yet wolde I not make noyse wrathe ne debate
Betwene you thus and hym/me thought no nede
It was/bycause I kepte hym from the dede
Alas there was no faute in hym truely
For to haue done you shame and velony
A saynt Mary sayth the good man tho
He is a traytoure that I trusted so
For neuer had I of hym ony doute
By god she sayth/yf he come in and oute
And that I knowe that he dooth with you speke
Or dele then vp/our housholde may we breke
For after that I shall none with you holde
If ye so do/for syluer ne for golde
She sayth/in fayth ye nede not me to garde
I am suffycyent my selfe to warde
If it please god/I wyll not now begyn
Agaynst his lawes to do/or vse a synne
With handes Ioyned/to god almyght I pray
That fyre frome heuen aboue descende may
And brenne my body all to nought and spyl
Well rather than I sholde be in suche wyll
Then she clepeth hym in her armes twaye
And sayth my lorde/herken what I saye
Ouer false I were/yf I sholde euyll do
To you that be so fayre and good therto
For what I wyll/my loue ye wyll the same
But yf I loued you well I were to blame
I wyll that ye so god me saue and mende
your hous frome hym forbede wolde and defende
With whome your frende/me falsely hath accused
And you deceyued thus/and sore abused
How be it frely do I gyue or sell
My soule vnto the foulest fende of hell
If euer he to me spake lesse or more
But not withstandynge yet by cryst therfore
I wyll not that he come in place where I
Shall happen for to be in company
Than she to wepe began ryght tenderly
And this good man appeased her spedely
Promysynge her with othes grete that he
Wolde kepe and holde all thynges whiche that she
Afore had sayd/excepte he nolde defende
This felawe frome his house/and there an ende
All be it in his herte with some remors
He shall be charged sore/but yet no force
For so it happeth in conclusyon
That suche dyspleasure and deuysyon
Betwene hym and his frende herof dooth fall
That he the gretest ennemy of all
To hym shall be/the whiche for loue hym tolde
Hath all the trouthe/whome he beleue ne wolde
So this good man a veray beest is made
Suche Ioyes of the husholde he hath had
And in the lepe he is yclosed depe
Out of the whiche he shall not lyghtly crepe
And this good wyse moche better in her guyse
Shall do/then euer she dyde or coude deuyse
And neuer man of her shall tell hym thynge
For he wyll not beleue suche rekenynge
And he the whiche this velony hath done
The best beloued frende shall be then sone
That he shall haue/and thus aege hym vpon
Shortely dooth fall/and pouerte anone
Wherwith perchaunce so sore he may be greued
That neuer after shall he be releued
Suche is the pleasure/whiche this man hath founde
Within the lepe/and yet folkes on the grounde
Wyll speke to hym after theyr fantasy
One sayth of hym/thus as he passeth by
He is good Iohan/an other maketh a shewe
With his fynger/an other vnthryfty shrewe
Sayth that it is grete domage for to se
This sely man in suche perplexyte
Another sayth/no force of hym in fay
It is nothynge but good ryght of the play
So lyueth he/with payne in pacyence
And all these sorowes dooth hym none offence
The whiche for Ioyes alwaye taketh he
Bycause he wyll that it none other be
So shall he euermore dwell in dystres
And ende his dayes in payne and wretchednes


Here endeth the seuenth Ioye of maryage.

Here begynneth the eyght Ioye of maryage.
Unto the .viii. Ioye syth I must go
Of maryage/knowe ye that it is so
As whan a man suche meane hath founde & skyft
Thus he vnware in to the lepe is left
Wherin he hath had grete felycyte
Takynge his pleasures/yeres two or thre
And hath so besy ben to reps and sowe
That well the hote heruest is ouerblowe
Then other mennes werke wyll he assay
No man at base ne barres may sporte alway
And peraduenture he hath had greuaunce
ynough of trouble/and of dyspleasaunce
Wherof enfebled gretely than is he
So that regarde taketh he none to fle
Perchaunce his wyfe/hath chyldren thre or mo
And grete with chylde agayne she gooth also
But she more seke is or this chylde be borne
Than she of all these other was beforne
Wherfore the good man is in thought and drede
To gete her suche thynge as she must haue nede
But this good man/dooth his auowes make
To dyuers holy sayntes for her sake
And also she auoweth in that houre
Unto our blessyd lady of Rochemadoure
So happeth it/as god wyll after this
And saynt Mary that she delyuered is
Of suche a fayre chylde and goodly thynge
As myght be well the sone vnto a kynge
She lyeth longe in bed/now in this wyse
The gossyppes to her come/as is the guyse
And maketh arete/andtt mery syynge vp
Where besely gooth rounde about the cup
And so it falleth she hath two or thre
Gossyppes/the whiche abyde with her/and be
Within the house to rule merely
With her/and gossyp in her company
And so shall peraduenture be that they
May talke of tryffles/whiche I wyll not say
And more goodes spende they in suche wyse
Then for to fynde the housholde wolde suffyse
The newe tyme approcheth her/and she
Is puryfyed with solempnyte
Unto the feldes then/to roue and playe
She and her gossyppes take the ryde waye
Where as they speke to go on pylgrymage
And fast they entrepryse for theyr vyage
For what thynge so the husbande hath to do
They care nothynge/ne haue regarde therto
Then this good wyfe of whome we speke of now
Sayth to her gossyppes I wote neuer how
I may haue lycence to performe this dede
And they her answere saynge haue no drede
Good gentyll gossyp/for we haue no doubte
But ye shall brynge your purpose well aboute
And we shall go and vs dysporte togyder
Whan god well sende tyme and merye weder
Now haue they entreprysed as I saye
This forsayd vyage and departe awaye
One frome an other a myle two or more
And thenne this wyfe of whome we spake afore
Cometh to her hous. And whan she draweth nere
Unto her housbande she maketh euyll chere
And he is lately comen frome the towne
Or elles frome other werkes and setteth downe
And her demaundeth how it with her is
Ha syr sayth she I am ryght wrothe ywys
Our lytell chylde is euyll at ease and seke
Wherof the good man is as angrye eke
And sorowfull and cometh it to see
Whan he it seeth/the teres falle in his eye
For pure pytye/and thenne cometh nyght vpon
And whan they be in secrete place allone
The wyfe begynneth for to sygh and saye
Truely my loue ye me forgete alwaye
And how sayth he thynke ye not on sayth she
Whan that I was in grete infyrmyte
Of our yonge chylde/and that I made a uowe
Unto our lady of rochemadoure/and nowe
Therof it semeth ye take lytell hede
O god he sayth/my loue ye knowe what nede
Ther is/and how moche that I haue to do
Good syr she sayth. I put case it be so
yet neuer shall/ I be at ease ne gladde
By god tyll I this pylgrymage haue made
And by my fayth because we do not seke
These sayntes therfore is oure chylde so seke
My loue sayth he god knoweth well your good wyll
And myn also. Ha syr she sayth be styll
For certaynly yf it please god and you
I wyll accordynge vnto myn auowe
Go with my cosyns and my gossyppes als
Unto our lady I wyll not be fals
Then this good man the mater myndeth sore
And peraduenture hath not all in store
That to this vyage sholde be requysyte
Accordynge to his wyfes appetyte
Now is he brought to suche encombraunce
That nedely must he must he make a cheuysaunce
Of horses/and perchaunce for them shall paye
A certayne hyre to trauayle by the waye
After suche porte/estate or elles degre
As he is/and it behoueth that she
A newe gowne haue to ryde in honestly
And peraduenture in that company
A gentyll galaunt is/the whiche shall do
With ryght good wyll some seruyce her vnto
Also this good man percase with her gothe
On pylgrymage all be he neuer so wrothe
yf he so do/moche better were that tyde
For hym at home to tary or abyde
Alway so sore she wyll hym chyde or chekke
That he shall bere the stones vpon his nekke
And neuer can she be content ne fayne
But whan that he hath hurte myschefe or payne
Now in that Iourney/as she sytteth softe
Upon the horse/she her complayneth ofte
Anone she sayth/one styrope is to longe
An other is to shorte and lacketh a thonge
Also she sayth/her horse dooth trotte to sore
And eke to harde/and she is seke therfore
Then frome her horse she must alyght anone
And she agayne shall sette be hym vpon
This good man then/for he shall not be ydle
Ouer suche a brydge/must lede her by the brydle
Or elles a peryllous path/or a narowe way
And whan they come be frome this Iourney
If he therby haue had wele or dysporte
That it of her longe/she wyll reporte
And yf that ony losse/or euyll fall
She chydeth and sayth/on hym it is longe all
So thus and other wyse his goodes waste
His housholde eke/and his expence in haste
Then mynysshed be/and she sayth hym beforne
How by his chyldren whiche that she hath borne
She gretly wasted is/and this man so
yclosed is within the lepe also
In sorowes grete/and paynes sharpe and sore
And taketh them for Ioyes euermore
In whiche alway he shall be and remayne
And wretchedly his dayes ende in payne


Here endeth the eyght Ioye of maryage.

Here begynneth the nynth Ioye of maryage.
The nynthe Ioye of maryage is when
One of these yonge lusty and fresshe men
Is put in to the pryson or the lepe
Of husbandry and can not go ne lepe
Out of the same/and grete pleasure hath hadde
Whiche newely hath be founde in dayes gladde
And peraduenture euyll is his wyfe
As many be/wherby aryseth stryfe
And he a man is of good gouernaunce
The whiche none euyll suffre wyll perchaunce
How be it dyuers argumentes haue bene
And other whyles strokes them betwene
So in suche warre/well thyrty or more
They haue contynued/and ye may knowe therfore
He hath had moche to suffre and sustayne
For so may be that he hath had certayne
Grete parte of sorowes/and aduersytees
The whiche afore be sayd/in theyr degrees
And many other suche as ben conteyned
Here after in this lytell boke vnfayned
But neuerthelesse/he dooth remayne alway
Uyctoryous/what euer she do or say
And hath not ben in shame and velony
Though moche to suffre he hath had therby
And for to thynke vpon bycause that he
perchauce hath doughters fayre/wel two or thre
Whiche wysely he hath maryed here and there
To put them out of Ieoperdy and fere
So happeth it that in a lytell space
Suche fortune hath this sely man and grace
That for the euyll nyghtes and the dayes
And colde whiche he hath taken many wayes
A cheuysaunce to make/this man dooth fall
In sekenes of the goute/then forth withall
Or elles for aege/he is vnweldy so
That he can neyther vp aryse ne go
And whan that he is set in suche a place
As he shall in remayne his lyfes space
In euyll maner tourned is the chaunce
For than the warre is ended and dystaunce
And wors it is for dyuers tymes a daye
Of veray hate she wyll vnto hym saye
She is ryght well assured in certayne
How for his synnes/he hath all that payne
And one may thynke/whan she afore hym is
Thus wyll he to her say/my loue ywys
ye be the thynge that I owe best to loue
Of all the worlde/excepte our lorde aboue
And ye also of dutye ben ybounde
To loue me moost of all that lyue on grounde
But wyte ye well/my loue that it is so
Some thynges be/that folkes vnto me dos
Wherwith I am not well contente sayth he
ye knowe of ryght I am and so shall be
The lorde and mayster of this house whyles I
May lyue/but yet folkes do not lyke truely
To me/for yf that I a poore man were
Whiche sholde go fetche his brede bothe ferre & nere
Men wolde not do to me as is done now
And ye my loue may vnderstanden how
That I haue done grete payne and dylygence
To make a cheuysaunce for our expence
your doynges to sustayne/and your estate
And all our chyldren whiche to me of late
Behaue them selfe full symply as ye se
Ha what wolde ye that one sholde do sayth she
To you is doone the best we can or may
And ye wote not what we demaunde or say
Now sayth this man/holde your peas good dame
And kepe your tonge in rest for worldly shame
The sone also to hym dooth speke and rayle
So what this good man sayth may not auayle
And thus she and the sone departe hym fro
His herytage emperynge euermo
And for the good man/no prouysyon
Is made/and thus they in conclusyon
Agre and make accorde bytwene them bothe
That neuer creature/whiche cometh or gothe
Shall with hym speke/and then the sone anon
The gouernaunce presume wyll hym vpon
And take the rule more than he dyde afore
And well content his moder is therfore
For she so dooth supporte hym and maytene
Also they make well euery man to wene
That he is fall in to a frenesy
Or is retorned to his Infancy
Thus vnto euery wyght sayth she and he
And this good man must take it all in gre
For other remedy none may be hadde
Amonge them so harde he is bestadde
And as to me I well beleue certayne
This is one of the gretest erthely payne
And sorowe/that on the grounde a man may fele
Thus this good man his penaunce dooth ryght wele
And so shall be in mornynge euermore
Endynge his dayes wretchedly and sore
Cursynge the tyme that in the lepe he came
To be enclosed/and in this wyse made tame


Here endeth the nynth Ioye of maryage.

Here begnneth the tenth Ioye of maryage.
The tenthe Ioye of maryage to wyte
Is as I fynde it in a boke ywryte
Whan that he whiche in to the lepe is brought
Bycause that he hath sene so as he thought
Other fysshes them baynynge in the same
Whiche to his demynge/had a mery game
And so he trauayled hath tyll tyme he
In to the lepe hath founde the ryght entre
And one may say that he by subtylte
Made was to come/in to that gynne and be
Of maryage/lyke as a fouler olde
These byrdes taketh in the wynter colde
With other byrdes whiche he afore hath had
And for that feate hathe them well taught and made
And bereth them about vpon his backe
Within his panyer or elles a sacke
Whiche with a threde be teyed by the fote
For to remayne there is none other bote
Moche eased were these poore byrdes yf they
Myght be at lyberte and fle away
As other do frome a ryuer or a dyke
Unto an other where they myght fede/and pyke
Of euery maner vytayle/for them mete
Whan other se these byrdes by the fete
yteyed fast/they haste vnto the gynne
And sodaynly they be taken therin
But yf it be some wyle byrdes that haue
Experyence them to preserue and saue
Frome suche daungere/and wysely can beware
Surely to kepe them frome the nette or snare
For they in tyme afore haue herde and sene
Of other byrdes whiche in that case haue bene
This not withstandynge they that wydded are
Of whiche we shewe the passe tyme and declare
Haue them aduysed of this crafte/and they
But lytell euyll thought in it alway
Or elles percase without aduyse in haste
Into the gynne one hath his body caste
Where as in Ioyes demed he to tary
Neuerthelesse/he fyndeth the contrary
And otherwhyles it may fortune so
That for suche thynges as shewed are them to
By totelers or flatterers that vse
To cause descorde/and falsely folke accuse
The wyfe shall neuer more for erthely thynge
Her husbande loue/vnto her last endynge
Then wyll she saye vnto her moder thus
Or to our cosyn/by our lorde Ihesus
Whan I with hym in bedde am layde adoune
His fleshe it stynketh lyke a caryoune
And he to her shall neuer plaesure do
Ne loue/but euer lyue in malyce so
And ofte it happeth/many men that he
In suche estate/of hyghe and lowe degre
And women bothe yet wyll they not lyue chaste
But ease them selfe by other meanes in haste
And whan that she a whyle hath ben away
With her good loue/for to dysporte and play
And largely hath her parte had of the game
Then her to kepe frome velony and shame
Some of her frendes good/wyll she entrete
Peace with her moder shortely for to gete
The whiche by coloure/and craftely can saye
That she within her house hath ben alwaye
The poore doughter pryuely is gone
For she so sore her dredde/that her good mon
Wolde her haue bet/as he hath doone or than
Wherfore vnto her moders house she ranne
And he hathe wonder where that she may be
But so it was that afterwardes he
Within her moders house/soone dooth her fynde
To whome he speketh with an hasty mynde
What deuyll brought the hyder/and for why
Departed thou frome home so sodaynly
Syr by our lorde she sayth/for drede that ye
Withouten cause/sore wolde haue stryken me
Then sayth the moder/certes me were leuer
That ye sone/and my doughter sholde dysser
And that ye leue her here with me to kepe
Then for to bete her alway tyll she wepe
For I knowe well/my doughter hath not done
Defaute to you/but ye be angry sone
Beholde this mater/loke theron and se
If she of euyll gouernaunce had be
She had be lost/but ye may se here
Frome shame and mysrule for to kepe her clere
Streyght vnto me she came/for she ne had
None other helpe/wherof ye may be glad
And she by ryght/her may repente and rewe
That she to you/hath ben so kynde and trwe
And it may fortune other whyles that they
Demaunde to be departed by some wey
Wherfore the husbande dooth accuse the wyfe
And she agayne/as sharpe as swerde or knyfe
Unto the husbande quyckely dooth the same
ye may be sure/her tonge shall not be lame
So are they in the lepe/and wolde be out
But so it may not be withouten doute
It is no tyme them to repente/for why
Then is none other way ne remedy
Afore the lawe/faste do they plede theyr cause
And by theyr aduocates shewe many a clause
But other whyle allegge they no cause why
They sholde haue theyr entente so hastely
Than sayth ye Iuge ryght playnly in Iugement
Unto them thus by good aduysement
The lawe it wyll that ye togyder holde
In company your lyues and housholde
And here vnto the Iuge them dooth aduyse
But so to do/yet be they not so wyse
For why/suche goodes as they hadde afore
They haue mysse vsed euyll spente and lore
And yet they be not werye but endure
In theyr oppynyons stydfaste and sure
So mokke and skorne them folkes ferre and nere
Whiche of the mater/vnderstande or here
And other whyles/causes reasonnable
One dooth alledge/and thynges acceptable
For whiche the Iuge departeth them asondre
All be it so that folkes vpon it wondre
Thenne one of them or other folysshely
Wyll vse them selfe in lyuynge vycyousely
Some tyme the woman gothe fro twone to towne
And in to the mennys chambres vp and downe
Where she her pleasures taketh of the game
And parauenture he wyll do the same
Supposynge they ben at theyr lyberte
Out of the lepe of maryage and free
But yet be they in wors cas thenne before
And thus this man hym wasteth more and more
Of what astate so euer that he be
And in the same maner/wasteth she
For neuer after maye they wedde agayne
Durynge theyr lyues by the lawes playne
Of fraunce but yet in englonde other wyse
They vse and haue a custome and a gyse
Whiche is an other for to take and wedde
Man or woman/where best they can be spedde
Men thynke in fraunce/suche shamed be for euer
As in that wyse contynue and perserue
And namely yf they be of hyghe parentage
Borne or descended/fro a good lynage
For parauenture a galaunt openly
Within his hous shall kepe her shame fully
So shall he be within the lepe adowne
In sorowe care and lementacyon
Where he alwaye in paynes and dystresse
Shall lyue and ende his dayes in wretchednesse


Here endeth the .x. Ioye of maryage

Here begynneth the .xi. Ioye of maryage
The .xi. Ioye of maryage to saye
Is whan a yonge lusty man and gaye
A gentyll ioly galaunt wyll go oute
For his dysporte/the countrees hym aboute
Into ryght many places all the yere
And in especyall he wyll go where
These ladyes and the gentyl women be
After the state condycyon or degree
That he is of/and for that he is yonge
And amerous/he preceth them amonge
No charge hathe he of ony other thynge
So that he may contynue his lyuynge
In pleasures whiche by nyghtes and by dayes
Ryght many profres maketh and assayes
And yf it fortune so that he may fynde
A lady or a gentyl woman kynde
With whome he hathe some thynge to do or say
His mynde and wyll applyeth he alway
And dothe his best/her for to please and serue
To that entente he may her grace deserue
And somtyme cometh he in suche place
Where as a mayde he fyndeth fayre of face
And parauenture not so grete is he
Of lygnage/ne of noble as is she
And for that she so goodly is and fayre
These supplyauntes somtyme to her repayre
And them amonge one is that dothe entrete
Her for to haue/and profereth gyftes grete
Whome she but lyte refuseth or denyeth
For euery gentyl woman her applyeth
The whiche debonayre is and hathe pyte
Compassyon to haue in that degree
On suche as them/humbly beseche and praye
In goodly wyse/they ought not to denaye
yf theyr petycyon be resonnable
Withouten vylonye/[and honourable]
Torne we agayne to this fayre damoysell
That of her maners somwhat I may tell
Of her conceytes and dysposycyon
Whiche by constraynt or elles oppressyone
Of suche a poore felowe is forlayne
And neuer shall she fynde ne gete agayne
That she hathe lost/for where she was a mayde
So hathe this homely felowe her betrayde
That she is grete wt chylde/ye whiche her dame
Perceyueth wele/for she knoweth of the game
And in that crafte she wylye is and felse
For so it fortune may/that she hathe alse
Somtyme ben/in lyke condycyon
The better can she fynde prouysyon
And neuer shall this felowe touche her more
Nor come to her as he was wonte before
The wyfe this mater wyll/so rule and gyde
This counseyll kepynge closse on euery syde
All thynges muste be taken as they be
Of reason/wysedome/and necessyte
This poore damoseyll with chylde/is grete
Whiche of conceyuynge/hathe the tyme foryete
For of herselfe knoweth she but lyte
How she was brought into suche case & plyte
And she nothynges knoweth of that arte
Ne what it is she toke so lytell parte
But yf it please our lorde god she shall knowe
How sedes groweth after they be sowe
The moder auyseth wele and seeth her hewe
Whiche knoweth the olde testament and newe
And calleth her into a secrete place
She sayth come hyder with an euyll grace
Haue I not sayd to the afore this houre
That thou hast lost thy worshyp and honoure
To do as thou hast done thus folyly
But whan a thynge is done what remedye
That thou arte grete with chylde I knowe it wele
Tell me the trouthe and drede the neuer a dele
Now fayre moder I wote not as ye saye
To tell you trouthe wheder it be so or naye
Then sayth the moder/it semeth me alwaye
Whan that the morowe cometh euery daye
I here the coughe/and pytously forbrake
And dyuers other countenaunces make
Now truely so it is she sayth madame
Ha sayth her moder holde thy pease for shame
Thou arte with chylde/tell it not all aboute
Ne to none erthely persone breke it out
And alwaye take a good respecte and hede
To do as I the shall commaunde and bede
Madame so shall I do in euery thynge
And lowely you obeye/and your byddynge
The moder then sayth to her doughter tho
Hast thou not sene so often come and go
Into our hous suche a yonge squyer ofte
And she sayth yes madame with wordes softe
Now then aduyse the wele for incertayne
To morowe heder wyll he come agayne
Then take good bede that thou make hym good chere
In godly wyse and in thy best manere
And whan that other gentylmen and me
Thou seest togyder talke/then cast an eye
On hym alwaye/and this good moder so
Her doughter techeth wele how she shall do
Also I the commaunde and charge yf he
Of ony maner thynges speke to the
Herken hym wele/and answere curteysly
And swetely rule thy speche and manerly
And yf he speke of loue/or thynges lyke
Thenne other whyles softely gyue a syke
And thanke hym hertyly/but say ywys
Thou knowest not yet/what maner thynge loue is
Ne it to lerne/thou wylte not the apply
Rule and demeane the well and womanly
And golde or syluer yf he proffre the
Thenne take it not in hast/but herken me
yf he the proffre Iuell crosse or rynge
Gyrdell bracelet owche or other thynge
Refuse it gracyouesely/but at the last
yf he it often offre the and fast
Receyue it thenne/in goodly wyse and take
For loue of hym/saynge that for his sake
Thou wyll it kepe/thykynge no vyllonye
Shame ne deceyte/that shall ensuye therby
And whan he taketh leue of the to go
Thenne hym demaunde or he departe the fro
yf one shall see hym hastyly agayne
Wherof say that/thou wolde be glad and fayne
Htre is this galaunt come whiche shall be cast
ynto the lepe/and therin holden fast
For why the dame wyll cause hym for to wedde
Her doughter sone/and with her do to bedde
yf that she can by ony carfte or wyle
This galaunt she porposeth to be gyle
For he moche hathe/of herytage and rent
And is/but symple and an Innocent
Now cometh he this damoysell to see
In hast for ouer wele at ease is he
Ryght many galautes bent haue theyr engyne
To take this damoysell/and vndermyne
The lady taketh a squyer by the hande
Or elles a knyght and other sytte or stande
Whiche Ioyeously togyder talke and rayle
This galaunt eke draweth to the damoysayle
And by the hande he dothe her take and holde
Sayenge fayre damoysell good god it wolde
That ye my thought wele knewe and vnderstode
And how may I she sayth for any gode
Knowe it/but yf ye wyll it to me saye
What do ye thynke suche thynges as ye ne may
Telle me/nay by my fayth I wolde that ye
Knewe it so that It were not sayd by me
Truely she sayth and laugheth pratyly
ye telle a thynge to me/so meruaylousely
Whiche to be done it is as/in possyble
As for to cause an horse walke in vysyble
yf it had lyked you this glaunt sayth
And no dyspleasyr taken in good fayth
I wolde haue playnely shewed you my thought
Now syr sayth she telle on and spare it nought
So moche of you knowe I that by the rode
ye wyll not say/ne shewe thynge/but all gode
Maystresse he sayth/ye knowe ryght welle that I
Am but a poore gentylman for why
I wote I am vnworthy/and vnable
To be youre loue/or with you compaygnable
For ye be gentyll fayre and gracyouse
And of all vertues full and beauteuouse
And yf it pleased you to do to me
Suche honour that your louer I myght be
I durst maste myn avaunt that with good wylle
I sholde do all the pleasyrs you vntylle
That any man/by possybylyte
May to his lady do in soueraynte
I shall you serue/and eke your honour kepe
More thenne myn owne whether ye wake or slepe
Graunt mercy syr thenne sayth this damoysell
But for the loue of god speke neuer adell
Of suche thynges vnto me after this
For I knowe not what maner thynge loue is
Ne yet I wyll not lerne it ferthermore
For it is not doctryne ne the lore
The whiche my moder hathe me taught alwaye
Thenne sayth this squyer damoysell in fay
My fayre lady of whome ye speke is good
But I wolde not yet that she vnderstode
Suche thynges as be sayd betwexte vs twaye
A syr she sayth yf you I haue herde saye
This other daye/that ye sholde maryed be
Wherof I maruayle and ye come to me
And speke suche ydell wordes/and thenne he
Sayth damoysell O benedycyte
Now by my faythe yf that it please yowe
I shall neuer other wedde I make auowe
Whyle that I lyue/so that ye wyll me take
As for youre seruaunt and I vndertake
That with my seruyce ye shall be contente
What wolde ye haue me deshonoured and shente
She sayth/nay yet me leuer were to dye
Sayth he/thenne for to do you vyllonye
For goodes loue be styll and speke no more
Herof and I shall tell you syr wherfore
yf that/my/moder it perceyue or wytte
I shall destroyed be I knowe wele it
And parauenture the moder maketh a sygne
That of her spekynge she shall cesse and fyne
And thenne this galaunt gyueth her a rynge
Under her hande or elles some other thynge
Saynge to her/fayre lady I you pray
Take this and kepe it/for my loue alway
Certes sayth she I wyll not take no
Alas my loue he sayth/why saye ye so
I pray you hertely/and in her hande
He putteth it agayne so as they stande
And she it taketh and sayth/this I receyue
To haue your loue as you may well perceyue
Without thought of thynge/but all honoure
I take wytenesse vnto my sauyoure
The lady of that house thus speketh then
In curteyse wyse vnto the gentyll men
To morowe must I go with goddes grace
Unto a blyssed lady of suche a place
On pylgrymage to suche a toune here by
Truely madame they say/ryght vertuously
And well ye speke/and forth withall they go
To souper/and this galaunt euermo
Anenst this damoysell is put or set
That he to her may talke withouten let
And she so well can make her personage
In suche a wyse/that he halfe in a rage
With loue is take of her that was so bryght
And beauteuous as semed to his syght
The morowe cometh this company must ryde
On pylgrymage/and lenger not abyde
And all men say they can not se ne fynde
An horse amonge them all yt bereth behynde
Excepte this galautes horse there by saynt loy
Wherof grete pleasure taketh he and Ioy
For one the damoysell behynde his backe
Dooth sette vpon his horse/and he no lacke
Fyndeth therin/and she clyppeth hym fast
To holde her on the horse/that he ne cast
Her doune/and god wote ther with he is eased
As an hauke whiche hathe an heron seased
Now draweth he nyghe the lepe withouten bote
They do this foresayd vyage god it wote
With perfyte mynde/and good entencyon
And home retorne/as made is mencyon
Where merely/they set them doune to mete
With suche vytayles as they can fynde and gete
And after mete the lady fayre and well
Gooth to her chambre/and this damoysell
To whome she sayth/whan thou spekest wt this man
Say vnto hym as sadly as thou can
That there is one/whiche spoken hath to the
Of maryage but thou ne wylte accorded be
As yet/and yf he offre the to take
Thanke hym/and say that he must meanes make
To me/and put the mater to my wyll
And that I do therin thou shalte fulfyll
On my behalfe/and say that there is none
Lyuynge in this worlde I excepte not one
That thou louest halfe so wele in certaynte
As hym/so as may stande with honeste
And all they after walketh twayne and twayne
Togyder arme in arme to the gardeyne
Where as amonge the herbes/and the floures
They smell and taste the holsom swete odoures
And playenge take the floures by the stalke
Whiche to theyr nose they put so as they walke
One taketh a gelofer or vyolere
An other plucketh of the englentere
And euery one of them as they espye
Take herbe or floure after theyr fantasye
This galaunt squyre with the doughter gothe
And telleth her euery thynge/but she is wrothe
Alas she sayth/speke no more so for I
Shall yf ye do/forsake your company
What wolde ye do mesemeth ye suppose
To cause me/myn honoure for to lose
Haue ye not herde of late dayes ysayde
That one to mary me hath spoke and prayde
Now by my soule he sayth I can not blame
Hym/though to mary you/he wolde attame
But I thynke that of myn habylyte
I am as good in value as is he
And eke as able/seruyce you to do
As is the man of whome that ye speke so
Now by my fayth she sayth than with a syke
I wolde that he were to your persone lyke
Graunt mercy fayre damoysell he sayth
For of your grete curteysy in fayth
Well more than I am worthy/ye me prayse
But ye myn honoure gretely may vp rayse
yf ye wolde take me as your man to grace
To do you seruyce all my lyues space
And she sayth syr graunt mercy ther withall
This must be spoken in especyall
Unto my fader sadly and my moder
And to my kynne/and frendes dyuers oder
Than sayth he thus/yf I myght knowe yt they
Sholde be content/I wold bothe speke & prey
A syr she sayth/beware that ye ne saye
That ye to me haue spoken by ony way
For rather wolde I suffre dethe/than ye
Sholde ony wordes shewe of preuyte
That hathe be sayd in ony maner wyse
Bytwene vs twayne/nay that is not my guyse
Sayth he/whiche to the moder speketh soone
And as god wolde in suche poynte was the moone
Whan he vnto the moder made request
That he all his desyre had at the leest
For she and other haue them trouthes plyght
And peraduenture caused them at nyght
Togyder/for to lye in bedde and slepe
Now is this poore squyre plonged depe
Within the lepe/and spedely they make
The weddynge/for this gentyl womans sake
And hastely they do this mater spede
Bycause her frendes haue grete doute and drede
Leste ony let may come in this matere
For in the wynde the weder was clere
The nyght is come after they be wedde
This damoysell with man must go to bedde
And knowe ye wele/the olde wyle dame
Wyll teche her doughter/somwhat of the game
How she ryght maydenly shall her demeane
As though she were an holy vyrgyn cleane
Myn auctour sayth her moder dooth her teche
That whan her husbande wyll vnto her reche
She shall for drede tremble/quake and crye
And hym withstande/and how that she shall lye
In many maner wyse as sholde a mayde
Upon the nyght whan she fyrst is assayde
Also the moder dooth her well enfourme
How she shall her demeane/and in what fourme
Whan that this galaunt her wolde enforce or stryke
Also sodaynly than shall she sterte and syke
As though she wrre cast in colde water depe
Up to the brestes/also she shall wepe
But in conclusyon as to the dede
She playneth metely wele whan she must nede
And yet the fader and the moder bothe
For loue and pyte angry be and wrothe
Whiche that they haue vpon theyr doughter yonge
Supposynge that this man hath doone her wronge
And causes them in presence to be brought
Now hath this squyre founde that he hath sought
Here may ye se one of the gretest payne
For she whiche with a ladde hath ben forlayne
Or monethes thre may passe and come aboute
Shall haue a baby lapped in a cloute
Oftymes a go then Ioyes and pleasaunce
To heuynes be tourned and penaunce
And peraduenture he shall her after bete
And manace curse and chyde with wordes grete
And neuer after shall good housholde kepe
So in the lepe he put is for to stepe
And out therof he neuer shall departe
Of sorowe and heuynes he shall haue parte
And euer more abyde shall in dystres
Endynge his dayes in care and wretchednes


Here endeth the enleueth Ioye of maryage.

Here begynneth the twelfth Ioye of maryage.
The twelfth Ioye of maryage for to say
Is whan a yonge man by many a day
In suche a maner comen hath and gone
That he into the lepe hath founde anone
The streyght entre/and also ferthermore
He hath her founde whome he demaunded sore
And he some other myght percas haue had
But for no thynge he wolde/and he is glad
Of this/for as hym semeth he hath sete
His loue so wele/that no man coude do bete
And that he was so happy her to fynde
Whiche so good is/and mete vnto his mynde
And peraduenture suche a man is he
As by her councell wyll well ruled be
So that whan ony wyght hath for to do
With hym/he sayth I shall go speke vnto
The good wyfe of our house/and yf she wyll
It shall be doone/and yf so be she nyll
In no wyse shall the mater take effecte
As pleaseth her she wyll graunt or reiecte
And here it cometh to the poynte anone
I put the case he be a gentylmon
And that his prynce an army do prepare
With whiche he is commaunded for to fare
Then yf the wyfe it wyll forthe shall he go
And yf she do replye/he shall not so
Unto the wyfe/thus may he say perchaunce
My loue I must me spedely auaunce
Streyght to the kynges army well arayed
And she shall say syr/be ye not afrayed
What wyll ye go and cause you to be slayne
How sholde we do yf ye come not agayne
ye thynke but lyte what shall become of me
And in good poynt/than sholde your chyldren be
But shortely for to speke/yf it her please
He shall go forthe/and somtyme for her ease
Of hym the hous she can delyuer clene
Whan that her lyketh best/here what I mene
For whyder it pleaseth her hym out to sende
He shall go quyckely forthe/and there an ende
Unto suche sayntes as she auowe hath made
Whiche to perfourme for her he wyll be glade
And whyder yt it be wynde/snowe hayle or rayne
Upon her byddynge shall he go certayne
And so may be a galaunt herynge this
The whiche her lemman or her louer is
And knoweth the entres of the house about
Well vnderstandynge that this man is out
Desyrynge with her for to speke and talke
Withouten taryenge wyll to her walke
For lenger in no wyse may he abyde
But on the nyght/whan come is the tyde
In to her house he entreth secretely
And where as the good man was wonte to ly
This homely galaunt boldely lyeth hym doune
Whiche hath god wote a grete deuocyon
For to accomplysshe his desyres and wyll
And this good wyfe her kepeth close and styll
The whiche dysdeyneth for to crye or call
Ryght well in pacyence she taketh all
For whan some woman seeth a man dooth take
Grete payne and labour onely for her sake
Of pyte neuer wyll she hym refuse
And though that she sholde deye he shall her vse
She hath a bowe that by her standeth bent
And he artyllery that must be spent
It happeth ofte he in the house abydeth
And in a corner preuyly hym hydeth
Whan that a lytell dogge dooth at hym bay
And yf the good man/what is that wyll say
The wyfe wyll answere/syr it is a ratte
That he dooth barke/or elles at the catte
For ofte tymes afore he hath doone so
Thus wyll she say with many wordes mo
So shortly for to speke this man is trapped
And in the lepe he closed is and lapped
She maketh hym the chyldren for to bere
Whan they wolde play/and dady here and there
Also she causeth hym to take and holde
Her spyndell and the thredes to vnfolde
Upon the saterday/whan she dooth rele
And she wyll chyde yf he do not wele
Now hath he foude a thynge whiche he hath sought
And vpon hym newly dooth fall a thought
For warre begynneth in that regyon
And euery man vnto the strongest toune
Wyll drawe that he can fynde to saue his lyfe
But he at home abyde must with his wyfe
And may not leue her wherfore he perchaunce
Is take prysoner/and grete fynaunce
Then must he pay/or elles in pryson dwell
This can this man of care and sorowe tell
Whiche in his husholde kepynge he hath founde
For nyght and day he must trotte on the grounde
Uytayles to gete/or for some other nede
And shortly for to say so dooth he spede
That his poore body neuer shall haue rest
Unto the tyme he put be in his chest
Then falleth he in sykenes and in aege
Wherby with hym is past lust and courage
Well lesse than prayed shall he be alway
And lyke a foule couer be cast away
Whiche is not wrothe to occupy that crafte
So is all Ioye and pleasure hym beraft
The wyfe hath doughters two or thre or mo
Whiche wolde be maryed/and they be not so
Wherfore they prayse this good man but alyte
But haue hym in dysdayne/and grete dyspyte
In to the goute he falleth seke and sore
And helpe hymselfe so shall he neuer more
For euyll paynes suche as he hath had
Whiche with his wyfe/hath thus ben ouerlad
Than may this poore man his synnes wepe
Within the lepe/where he is closed depe
Out of the whiche he neuer shall departe
But styll remayne/and euer take his parte
Of Ioyes suche as be in maryage
Whiche he from youth hath founde vnto his aege
And yet hym fallen is more heuynesse
For he ne dare cause for to synge a messe
Ne make his last wyll and testament
But yf his wyfe ther vnto wyll consent
For he to her so buxome is and bonde
That body and soule he putteth in her hande
Thus vsyth he his lyfe in languysshynge
Alway/and eke a sorowfull endynge
He shall sustayne and wretchedly his dayes
This man shall ende withouten myrth or playes
And all is the cause of his good wyfe
That causeth hym so to be caytyfe


Here endeth the twelfth Ioye of maryage.

Here begynneth the .xiii. Ioye of maryage.
The .xiii. Ioye of maryage is so
That whan that he whiche wedded is also
Within the lepe hathe ben and dwelled there
With his good wyfe well syxe or seuen yere
Or elles peraduenture more or lesse
The certaynte wherof I do but gesse
And demeth he is sure by his aduyse
That he hath founde a woman good and wyse
With whome he rested hath in grete pleasaunce
And he a gentylman may be perchaunce
Whiche for to gete hym worshyp and honoure
Wolde put hym forthe/to do his best deuoure
Then to his wyfe he wyll declare and say
My loue I must ryde out on my Iourney
To suche a londe nyghe to the realme of fraunce
Where I may wynne grete fame and valyaunce
And she therwith ofte wolde hym clyppe and kys
Wepynge and syghynge/and say O what is thys
Alas my loue wyll ye departe so soone
Leuynge me here with all this charge to doone
And in no wyse ye vnderstande certayne
If ones or neuer ye shall come home agayne
Bothe nyght and daye she dooth vpon her syde
All that she can to cause hym to abyde
My loue sayth he. I must of veray nede
This Iourney take on me how so I spede
Or elles shall I lese/bothe the fees and wage
All that I haue and eke myn herytage
The whiche I holde/and with goddes grace
I shall come home agayne in lytell space
And in aduenture he gooth ouer the se
With suche a prynce or in a grete arme
To gete hym honoure/or for chyualry
So of his wyfe than taketh he congye
Whiche maketh all the dole that one can make
At suche departynge for her husbandes sake
For yf he be suche one as loueth honour
There is no wyfe loue ne peramour
That frome the dede of armes may hym holde
If he an hardy persone be and bolde
Turne we agayne to this noble man anone
The whiche vpon his vyage forthe is gone
And vnto god he recommaundeth all
His wyfe and his chyldren in especyall
It happeth that he ouer the see gooth clere
And where his ennemyes are he draweth nere
His fortune may so by aduenture vary
That yeres thre or foure he shall out tary
How he is deed the wyfe than hath herde say
Wherof she maketh sorowes nyght and day
So grete that for to here it is meruayle
But alway may she not so wepe and wayle
For blyssed be god/she dooth appece at last
And so it happeth that she is maryed fast
Unto an other man/and dooth forgete
Her olde husbande/and all the Ioyes grete
And loue/that she vnto hym bare in her mynde
Here may ye se/that she can torne and wynde
For now the solace and the pleasures olde
And feruent loue with her be waxen colde
Whiche to her husbande she was wonte to make
And reason why/for she anewe hath take
The folkes then/suche as afore haue sene
The maner of the delynge them bytwene
Sayth that this newe man she loueth more
Than that she dyde her husbande heretofore
But so it is as fortune dooth constrayne
Her other husbande cometh home agayne
Whiche olde and feble growen is to se
For alway at his pleasure was not he
And whan he to his countree draweth nere
Of newes hastely he dooth enquere
Bothe of his wyfe/and of his chyldren all
Grete doute he hath/how it is with them all
Supposynge they be deed or elles greued
Some otherwyse whiche he wolde were releued
And prayeth god them for to saue and kepe
Full pytously well nye in poynte to wepe
And it may happen well in the same houre
That this man prayed deuoutly foro socure
He whiche the wyfe so wedded late agayne
Enbraceth her fast in his armes twayne
Than hereth he how that they maryed were
But how he pleased is suche newes to here
I trowe the sorowe of Abraham & the payne
Was not so grete/whiche his sone sholde haue slayne
Ne yet the sorowe of Iacob and his sone
To his were lyke/ne none vnder the sonne
For Tantalus whiche cheyned lyeth in hell
Can not of greter payne and sorowe tell
Than this poore man whiche dooth hym selfe so cast
In suche a sorowe as shall endure and last
Perpetuelly/whiche he shall not recure
Ne yet forgete/but in the same endure
And other whyle the chyldren haue grete shame
To se theyr moder/brought in suche defame
And neuer shall they mary one ne other
Of many a yere/for mysrule of the mother
It fortune may/somtyme that in batayle
As it dooth oft/some man dooth not preuayle
But at a skarmysshe/slayne is cruelly
Or in a felde myn auctour sayth/for why
Ofte happeth it/that he whiche hath the ryght
Shall vaynquysshed be/or elles put vnto flyght
I put case that this man gooth to his wyfe
And in his yre wyll make debate and stryfe
With her and with her husbande wedded newe
Now what a vengeaunce herof may ensewe
He cometh home with swerdes sharpe and bryght
And peraduenture late within the nyght
Whiche fyndeth them togyder bothe in bedde
Than swereth he by the blode that Ihesus bledde
They shall be slayne withouten ony remedy
And they aryse bothe all hastely
Afore that he the doores can vp breke
And ryght pyteously to hym dooth speke
Alas my loue she sayth/what do ye now
I wende ye had ben deed I make auow
By many a man it hath ben shewed and sayd
That ye were slayne and in your graue ylayde
But for that I wolde knowe the certaynte
I was vnmaryed more than yeres thre
And suche a sorowe made I nyght and day
That all my wytte and reason fyll away
Helples I was/longe tyme in wo and care
And god it wote full euyll dyde I fare
That ye were deed/eche man sayd out of doute
And I ne coude well brynge ye worlde aboute
Wherfore my frendes aduysed me to mary
And so I dyde/for what cause sholde I tary
ye neuer sente me worde/how that ye dyde
But ye alway your counceyle fro me hyde
And as this wyly woman stode and talked
The newly wedded husbande/softely stalked
And toke a bowe in hande/and dyde it bende
And boldly sayd/he wolde his place defende
Than sayd the wyfe vnto her husbandes bothe
Good gentyll syrs/yf ye wolde not be wrothe
But well agre/I trust you bothe to please
My selfe/and you at euery tyme well ease
The olde husbade thus knowyge of theyr dede
Departeth sodaynly/for he must nede
With shame ynough/and hasteth hym away
And they within the house fast laugh and play
And after this so seke he is and sadde
That he within a whyle is waren madde
Wherfore I say/he that may fortune so
As dyde this man whiche wolde for honour go
The way in to the lepe of maryage
Streyght hath he founde as byrde into the cage
How be it he afore was not so wyse
Of so grete Ieoperdyes to take aduyse
So shall he lede his lyfe and hym enable
To be a fole/and mete to bere the bable
And at the last in paynes greuously
He shall his dayes ende/and wretchedly


Here endeth the .xiii. Ioye of maryage.