Miche ioy everichon shall make with other,
Ȝe, more then eny hert may under|stonde,
Line 1777
When thei hem syn in theke londe.
So myȝhti thei shull byn everuchon
That whidur thei wolle thei may gon. [1780 and 1784 to be transp.]
And thei shull be so lyȝht and swyft
That whidur-sever they thenk they may be lyft.
And so slye and crafty [Fr. si sotils] they shull byn alle
That thei shull do all thyng that in here hert doth falle.
Line 1784
And where-sere the toon the tother metyth,
With lovely chere thus he him gretyth:
'I-blessed be the Lord that the wrowght
And hidur to this blysse and ioy the browght!
Line 1788
I-blessed be the tyme that thou i-bore were,
So myche ioy I have that i se the here;
So myche blys I see on the
That all my blisse neweth me!'
Line 1792
Thet other answereth him anonryȝht:
'Ever i-blessed be God Allmyȝht,
That seche ioy hath i-ȝeve to the;
Therfore my ioy doubleth me.
Line 1796
On the I se mychelle ioy and blys,
That all my ioy newed is;
And ever here is myrthe and gret song,
And ever I se oure shapere among,
That i-like himselvyn us hath wrowght
Line 1801
And sethyn to this ioy us browght!
Mi ioy is doubled an hondred-fold,
ffor I have all that I wolde.'
Line 1804
Meche is the murthe that is at that feste,
That ever withoutyn ende shall leste.
He that is lest feyre there
Shall shyne as the sonne for ere [r. so clere] ;
No nyd is thenne that sonne [H sinne] be there i-wys, [v. 1809-10 to be transp.]
They shull [r. That shall] shyne seven-sythe bryȝhter then heo now is.
When all thei shull be so bryȝht,
Then by alle maner of ryȝht
Line 1812
He most be feyre and bryȝht and more clere
That more deserved that ioy here.
So mony wonynges me may ther i-syn,
And gret compani of angels that woll ther byn
Line 1816
In the ioy so mony and so ryche:
In diverse ioyes never oon other i-lyche. [The French text has 54 vv. more at the end.]
In which ioyes God, of his hiȝ grace,
In hevyn ȝeve ȝow alle a place. Amen.
Here endyth the Castel of Love,
Made i-wys for lewde mennis behove.
Made i-wys for lewde mennis behove.
