Yet right anone we came unto the gate,
Where we were let in by dame Measure,
That was a fayre and a goodly creature.
And so Correccion brought me to the hall,
Of gete well wrought, glased with cristall;
The rofe was golde, and amiddes was set
A carbuncle that was large and great,
Whose vertue clere in the hall so bryght
About did cast a great mervaylous lyght.
So forth we went unto a chamber fayre,
Where many ladies did them selfe repayre,
And at our coming than incontinent
They welcomed us as was convenient.
But of Correccyon they were very glad,
Which False Reporte agayne take had.
There was quene Phantasyle with Penalape,
Quene Helayne and quene Menelape,
Quene Ythesile and quene Prosperine,
The lady Meduse and yong Polixine;
With many mo that I do not rehearse:
My time is short, I must from them reverse.
And dame Correccion into a chambre ledde
Me right anone, for to go to my bedde.
What nede I shew of my great chere and rest?
I wanted nought, but had all of the best.
And so I slept tyll that Aurora clere
Began to shyne amiddes the golden spere.
Than up I rose, and my verlet also,
Which made me redy, and to my stede did go;
And dame Correccion, at the morow tyde,
Did me entreat a while to abyde;
And right anone my breakfast was brought,
To make me chere there wanted right nought.
And after this, dame Correccion
Did lede me to a mervaylous dongen:
And first she led me to the upper ward,
Where Shamefastnes did us well regarde,
For he was gayler, and had at his charge
Every rebell not for to go at large.
In the first ward there wente to and fro
Both men and women might no ferther
But yet they hoped for to have releve
Of theyr imprison which did them so greve.
These prisoners, whan true love was meved,
They wold dryve of and release the greved;
And for this cause, by egal jugement,
Lyke as they did, here hath they punishment.
And Shamefastnes lower did us bring
Where we saw men in great tormenting,
With many ladies, that their mouthes gagged;
And Fales Reporte on me his head wagged.
Than right anone a lady gan to scrape
His furred tonge, that he cryed lyke an ape;
And, vyle peller, in lykewyse also,
His tonge was scraped that he suffered wo;
And yet we went into a depe vale,
Where I saw men that were in great bale,
In holly bushes they did hange aloft,
Theyr hedes downeward for to fall unsofte;
And two ladyes dyde theyr bodyes bete,
With knotted whyppes in the flesshe to frete,
That the desyre it sholde sone aswage
And specyally of the Vylayne Courage.
These men, with sugred mouthes so eloquente,
A maydens herte coude ryght sone relente,
And these yonge madens for to take in snare
They fayne greate wo and for to suffer care:
The folyshe maydens dyd byleve they smarted,
That to theyr wyll the men them converted:
Thus whan that they had them so begyled,
And with theyr fraude these maydens defyled,
They cast them of; they toke no lenger kepe;
Go where ye lyst, though they crye and wepe;
Therfore these ladyes, wyth theyr whyppes harde,
Theyr bodyes bete that theyr bodyes had marde.
And every man as he hath deserved
wene,
A payne there is whiche is for hym observed.
Thus whan I had all the pryson sene,
With the tourmente of many a one I
And forthe we wente agayne to the hall;
My stede was redy and brought to the wall,
And of the ladyes clere in excellence
I toke my leve, with all due reverence,
And thanked Correccyon, with my herte entere,
Of my repose and of her lovynge chere.
To me she sayd: Remembre you well
Of the swete beaute of La Belle Pucell,
Whan you her herte in fetters have chayned,
Let her have yours in lykewyse retayned;
Loke that your herte, your worde, and countenaunce,
Agre all in one without varyaunce.
Yf she for pyte do release your payne,
Consyder it and love her best agayne.
Be true and secrete, and make none advaunte
Whan you of love have a perfyte graunte.
And if ye wyll come unto your wyll,
Both here and se and than holde you styll.
Drede you nothing, but take a good herte,
For right sone after you from hens departe
Right high adventures unto you shall fall.
In tyme of fight unto your mind than call,
If you prevayle you shall attayne the fame
Of hye honour to certify the same.
And therwith I lyght upon my stede.
Madame, I sayd, I pray God do you mede!
Farewell! she sayd, for you must now hens,
Adue, quod I, with all my diligens.
HOW GRAUNDE AMOURE DYSCOMFYTED THE GIAUNTE WITH THRE HEDES, AND WAS RECEIVED OF
WHAN golden Phebus in the Capricorne
Gan to ascend fast unto Aquary,
And Janus Bifrus the crowne had wone
With his frosty berd in January;
Whan clere Diana joyned with Mercury,
The cristall ayre and assured firmanent
Were all depured without encumbrement.
Forth than I rode, at myne owne adventure,
Over the mountaynes and the craggy roche;
To beholde the countrees I had great pleasure,
Where corall growed by right hye flackes;
And the popyngayes in the tre toppes;
Than as I rode I sawe me beforne
Besyde a welle hange both a shelde and horne.
Whan I came there, adowne my stede I lyght,
And the fayre bugle I right well behelde;
Blasynge the armes as well as I myghte
That was so graven upon the goodly shelde;
Fyrst all of sylver dyd appere the felde,
With a rampynge lyon of fyne golde so pure,
And under the shelde there was this scrypture:
Yf ony knyght that is adventurous
Of his great pride dare the bugle blowe,
There is a gyaunte bothe fyerce and rygorous
That wyth his might shall hym soune overthrowe.
This is the waye as ye shall nowe knowe
To La Belle Pucell, but withouten fayle
The sturdy gyaunte wyll geve you batayle.
Whan I the scripture ones or twyes hadde redde,
And knewe therof all the hole effecte,
I blewe the horne without any drede,
And toke good herte all fare to abjecte,
Makynge me redy, for I dyde suspecte
That the great gyaunte unto me wolde hast
Whan he had herde me blowe so loude a blast.
I alyght anone upon my gentyll stede,
Aboute the well then I rode to and fro,
And thought ryght well upon the joyfull mede
That I shoulde have after my payne and wo;
And on my lady I dyd thynke also:
Tyll at the last my varlet dyd me tell,
Take hede, quod he, here is a fende of hell!
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