And rounde about us she her mantyll cast, Sayeng that she and her sone Cupyde Wolde us conjoyne in mariage in hast; And to lete knowe all youre courte soo wyde, Sende you Perseveraunce before to provyde, To warne your ladyes for to be redy, To morowe betyme ryght well and solemply.
We answered bothe our hertes were in one, Sayeng that we dyde ryght well agre, For all our foes were added and gone. Ryght gladde I was that joyfull day to se; And than anone, with grete humylytie, La Bell Pucell to a fayre chambre bryght, Dyde me than brynge for to rest all nyght.
And she toke her leve, I kyst her lovely. I wente to bedde, but I coude not slepe, For I thought so moche upon her inwardly, Her moost swete lokes in to my herte dyde crepe, Percynge it through with a wounde so depe; For Nature thought every houre a daye Tyll to my lady I sholde my dette well paye.
OF THE GRETE MARIAGE BETWENE GRAUNDE AMOURE AND LA BELLE PUCELL.
THAN Perceveraunce, in all goodly hast, Unto the steward called Liberalite Gave warning for to make redy fast Agaynst this time of great solemnitie, That on the morow halowed should be: She warned the cooke called Temperaunce, And after that the ewres Observaunce.
With Pleasaunce the paynter and dame Curtesy, The gentyll butler with the ladies all, Eche in her ofice was prepared shortly Agaynst this feast so much tryumphall. And La Belle Pucell then in speciall Was up betime in the morow gray, Right so was I, whan I sawe the daye.
And ryght anone La Belle Pucell me sente, Agaynst my wedding, of the satyn fyne, Whyte as the milke, a goodly garment, Branded with perle that clerely did shyne; And so the mariage for to determyne Venus me brought to a ryall chappell, Which of fyne golde was wrought every dele.
And after that the gay and glorious La Belle Pucell to the chappell was ledde, In a white vesture fayre and precious, Wyth a golden chaplet on her yalow hede; And Lex Ecclesie did me to her wedde; After which wedding there was a great feast, Nothing we lacked, but had of the best.
What should I tary by longe continuaunce Of the fest, for of my joye and pleasure Wysdom can judge withouten variaunce, That nought I lacked as ye may well be sure, Payeng the swete due det of nature; Thus with my lady was so fayre and clere, In joy I lived full right many a yere.
O, lusty youth and yong tender herte! The true company of my lady bryght, God let us never from other asterte, But all in joy to lyve both day and nyght! Thus after sorow joy aryveth aright: After my payne I had sporte and play; Full lytell thought I that it should decaye.
Tyll that dame Nature naturing had made All thinge to grow to theyr fortitude, And nature naturing waxte retrogarde, By strength my youth so far to exclude, As was ever her olde consuetude ; First to augment, and then to abate, This is the custome of her hye estate.
HOW WHAN GRAUNDE AMOURE HAD LIVED LONGE WYTH LA
BEL PUCELL, HE WAS ARRESTED BY AEGE, THAT BROUGHT UNTO HIM POLYCY AND AVARYCE.
THUS as I lived in such pleasure gladde, Into the chamber came full prively
A fayre olde man, and in his hand he hadde A croked staffe; he wente full wekely: Unto me than he came full softely,
And with his staffe he toke me on the brest, Obey! he sayd, I must you nedes areste.
My name is Age, which have often sene The lusty youth perysh unhappely, Through the desert of the selfe I wene; And evermore I do thinke inwardly,
That my dedes of you they were of great foly, And thou thy selfe right joyous may be
To lyve so longe to be lyke to me.
Happy is they that may well overpasse
The narrow bridge over fragilite
Of his wanton youth, brytle as the glasse;
For the youth is open to all fraylte,
Redy to fall to great iniquite;
Full well is he that is brydeled fast
With fayre dame Reason tyll his youth be past.
I obeyed his rest; there was no remedy; My youth was past, and all my lustynes; And right anone to us came Polizy, With Avaryce bringing great riches; My hole pleasure and delyte doubtles Was set upon treasure insaciate, It to beholde and for to aggregate.
The fleshly pleasure I had cast asyde, Lytle I loved for to playe or daunce; But ever I thought how I might provyde To spare my treasure, land or substaunce. This was my minde, and all my purveyaunce, As upon deth I thought lytle or never, But gadred riches as I should lyve ever.
HOWE HE WAS ARESTED BY DEATH.
BUT whan I thought longest to endure, Deth with his darte arest me sodenly; Obey! he sayd, as ye may be sure. You can resist nothing the contrary But that you must obey me naturally. What you avayleth such treasure to take, Sithens by force ye must it now forsake?
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