'Off dame Venus: wherfor tak hede [Stowe folio 146a]
How gretly she ys to drede.
Line 8148
'And yiff thow kanst the trouthe espye,
Venus ys sayd off venerye; [Venus dicitur a venandi, om. C. Stowe.]
ffor she ys the hunteresse
Wych euere doth hyr bysynesse
Line 8152
To take pylgrimës by som treyne,
And tenbracen in hyr cheyne,
And with hyr ffyry brond also
ffor to don hem peyne & wo,
Line 8156
And ther passagë for tassaylle.
'And fynally, in thys bataylle
Ther geyneth power noon, nor myht,
Line 8159
Nor other rescus but the fflyht, [Fuga est suum Remedium St., om. C.]
ffor flyht ys only best diffence;
And [[And St., om. C.]] ffor to makë résistence
A-geyn hyr dredful mortal werre,
The ffyht [[fflyght St.]] with hyre ys best a-ferre.
Line 8164
'ffor yiff A man be rekkëles
ffor to putte hym sylff in pres,
ffarwel dyffence off al Armure!
Ther folwe shal dyscoumfyture
Line 8168
On the party that doth a-byde;
ffor Venus & hyr sone cupyde,
In ther conquest han vyctorye,
And in ther werrys, ffals veyn glorye,
Line 8172
Whan folkys at dyffencë stonde
To fyhtë with hem hand [[honde St.]] off honde;
'And for thys skyle, thow sholdest [[shust St.]] be lyht
ffor to take thé to the flyht; [folio 128b] [[C. & St.]]
Line 8176
Whan thow hast nede, (take [[have St.]] yt in mynde,)
Legharneys ys lefft be-hynde, [[C. & St.]]
That thow mayst, at lyberte, [Stowe folio 146b]
Hyr dartys and hyr brondys fle.
Line 8180
'Whan thow hyr seyst, [[seest St.]] mak no dyffence,
Nor noon other résistence,
But eschewë place & syht,
And alway tak the to the flyht.
Line 8184
Tourne thy bak, & she wyl go; [¶ Si vitare velis Venerem, loca tempora vita // Si cedis, cedit; si ffugis, illa ffugit. St., om. C.]
And yiff thow flest, she fleth also.
