The Parliament of Love.
[MS. Univ. Lib. Camb. Ff. 1. 6, leaf 51. Handwriting of the 15th century.]
What so euyr I syng or sey,
My wyll is good too preyse here well.
Now ȝee that wull of loue lere,
I counsell yow þat ȝe cum nere;
To tell yow now is myne entent,
Houth loue made late his parleament,
Line 4
And sent for ladyes of euery londe,
Both mayde, and wyfe þat had housbonde,
Wythe gentyll wymmen of lower degre,
and marchauntz wyfes grete plente,
Line 8
Wythe maidenes eke þat where theym vndre,
Of wyche there were a rygthe grete numbre.
And all tho men þat louers were [folio 51b]
They had there charge for too be there,
Line 12
And when they were assembled all,
(yf I the werre sothe sey schall),
with-in a castell feyre ande stronge,
And as y lokyd them amonge,
Line 16
I sawe a ryȝth grete cumpany
of gentill-wummen that were there by,
The whyche, as the custum was,
Songe a balad stede of the masse
Line 20
For goode spede of thes folkys all
Þat where assemblede in the hall;
and yf ȝe lyst ley too yowre ere,
Rygh[t] thys they songe, as ȝee schall heyre.
Line 24
"O god of loue! wyche lorde hart and souereyne,
Send downe thy grace a-monge thys louerys all,
