Caxton's Blanchardyn and Eglantine, c. 1489 : from Lord Spencer's unique imperfect copy, completed by the original French and the second English version of 1595

¶ The xvj. chapitre conteyneth yet of the complayntes & grete thretenynges that the proude pucelle in amours made vnto her maystres of the knyght Blanchardyn

In suche astate, and of the wrathe wherin she was / talked & deuysed her self sore harde and angerly wyth her maystres, whiche dysconseylled her by al manere wayes of the deth of blanchardyn / But what argument nor remonstrans that she coulde make to the proude damoyselle in amours, coude nor not myght not [coude nor not myght not = ne le sceut ne peult] moeue her for to haue awaye her corage from thobstynacion that she had toward Blanchardyn / Thenne sayde the fayre damoyselle, that so fyers was ayenst the god of loue [Wanting in the French.] expand_less / 'Of what dethe myght I do make hym to deye for to tormente hym moost therby / Other late hym be hanged / brente, or drowned / his hed to be smytten of from his shulders / or to make hym to be drawen and quartre l / for to gyue vnto hym his payment of the grete oultrage by hym commytted in my persone' / Her maystres, heryng her wylle / conclusion, and haulte corage insaucyble / that right

sore touched thonestete and honoure of alle pryncesses / was therof right Impacient / And bygan to saye suche or semblable wordes: 'Alas, madamoselle, he that ye so sore do hate / hath not desserued dethe, thoughe he hath taken a kysse of you / To my semyng ye sholde forclose and take awaye out of your herte all invtyle sorowfulnesse, wherof ye ouer moche doo hurt hit, And garnysshe hit [sign. C ij.] of a newe Ioye / The rayson wherby I so saye, I shal shewe hit vnto you, yf ye be pleased to vnderstande it / Al ynough ye may thynke and knowe / that what someuer he be / he hath a gentyll herte, and is a man of hyghe facion. And where all-redy ye haue mowe knowen by the relacion of youre captayne of Tourmaday / ye may vnderstande of his worthynesse / Ye may well knowe / that yf he had not chosen you full praty and ryght fayre, and more than eny other accomplysshed in all manere of beaulte and faycture / byleue certaynly that he neuere wolde haue vaunced hym self to take a kysse of you / nor had not put hym self in daunger of youre indyngnacion, that gretly ought to be drad. Wherfore atte my requeste, and for the loue that euere ye had to me; by all the seruyces and pleasures that I haue mowe doon unto you, And that herafter I myght doo, beseche you / that this euyll wylle and grete indygnacion / that ye haue to that yong knyght, ye putte and chasse out from you. And that ye wyll ceasse your sorowe, and take ayen vnto you thastate of Ioyfull lyuyng / For vpon my sowle, it is the beste that ye can doo in this world' /