Lydgate's Reson and sensuallyte, ed. from the Fairfax ms. 16 (Bodleian) and the Additional ms. 29, 729 (Brit. mus.) by Ernst Sieper.
Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451?, Sieper, Ernst, 1863-1916., Furnivall, Frederick James, 1825-1910.
¶ Here declareth the auctour the maner of clothyng of Cupido.
Hys clothyng eke, yif ye lyst here,
Was wonder dyvers of Manere,
The vnkouth werke y-made of olde
Nouther of silke nouther of golde
5340
But of a mater wonder straunge,
Ever redy for a*. [a] to A.] chaunge
In-to as many folde colours
As in erthe growe flours,
5344
Outher on hilles, vale, or playn;
And euer yt was in non certayn,
Of what colour yt myghte be,
For ther was of noo degre
5348
Nor in this worlde no man a-lyve
That konnyng hadde to descryve,
Of what colour was his clothing,
It was so dyuers of chaungyng.
5352
And this god hadde eke also
On his shuldres wynges two,
Al vnwarly and vnwist [folio 276b]
For to fle wher euer hym lyst
5356
As any swalwe swifte of flyght;
And of fethres he was as bryght
As an Aungel of paradys,
That I hadde in my devys
Page 141
5360
And in myn hert[e] grete plesaunce
To beholde his gouernaunce;
And eke this god, in special,
As he that ouercometh al
5364
And daunte kan [bothe] yong and olde,
Was wonder fair for to beholde:
Yong, lusty, fresh, and also eke
Symple and as dovwe meke,
5368
Debonaire and amyable,
Curteys, large, and honourable,
And fulfilled of gladnesse,
Of myrthe, play, and lustynesse,
5372
And*. [And] a A.] wel y-cheryd of lokyng,
And his eyen ay laughyng,
Clere, and gray, and eke drawyng,
And plesaunt eke of beholdyng
5376
To lure folkys and to drawe
And to constreyn hem to his lawe;
Thogh somme seyn, in special,
That he seeth ryght noght at al,
5380
But is*. [is] it is A.] as blynde as stok or ston,
But what they Ianglen euerychon,
I espyed by hys chere
That his sight was ryghte clere.
5384
And his eyen in lokyng
Weren, me thoughte,*. [thoughte] though A.] ryght persyng
And ryght faire in apparence,
And, short[e]ly, thus, in sentence,
5388
I sawgh this myghty god certeyn
In his estate ful wel be-seyn.
