The fyftene joyes of maryage

And here begynneth the fyrst Ioye of maryage

[illustration]

THe fyrst Ioy of maryage is this As whan a man oftenderyeres is Flourynge in youth / pleasaunt fresshe and gay Then in this worlde / nothynge may hym dysmay. He other mynde / desyre nor appetyte

Conforte / lykynge / pleasure / Ioye / ne delyte Hath he except / how he may tye his poyntes To cause his hose / to syt well on his Ioyntes And make his vysage / and his lymmes fayre He brussheth oft his goune / and other gayre His hede he combeth smothe ryght as hym lyketh Wherof the heres / pruneth he and pyketh And maketh hym as clenly as he can That folke may say / there gooth a goodly man So wyll he synge / daunce / and balades make And vpon hym / mo entrepryses take That he can do / or may atchyeue perchaunce Thynkynge therby / hym selfe so to enhaunce The fayrest creature that he can espye He wyll beholde / with ryght a lusty eye As vysynge well / where he suche one may fynde A Iolynet accordynge to his mynde And whan he hath her fast in his demayne Ioyous he is / ryght mery / gladde and fayne For paraduenture so the case may stande That by his faders / or his moders lande Or by theyr other goodes he may mayntene His Iolynets / and go ryght well besene Lyuynge in rest and ease habundauntly Beholdynge other folkes certaynly In to the bonde of maryage ybrought Than in his mynde he casteth and his thought Lyke as the fysshe behelde the lepe / so he Demeth / these wedded men in blysse be Hauynge the bayte / and pasture at theyr wyll Wherof they may / theyr appetyte fulfyll Ryght well he seeth the beatute of theyr wyues Supposynge that they haue so mery lyues

With them so well appoynted and arayed For whiche the sely husbande hath not payed It may so be percase / at many season Some folke wyll say / and she we this man by reason That so her owne fader / or hermoder Her hath arayed / and demeth he none oder And so this yonge man / torneth hym aboute The lepe / wherin of wedded a route Enclosed be / and thenne he dooth enquere Of maryage / a lytell here and there Soone here vpon / aryseth suche a wynde And smoke / that he therof is made so blynde That he vn ware / in to the lepe is cast Wherin he shall be kepte and holden fast And where as he was wonte in tyme afore To synge and daunce / that may well be forbore Of poyntes byenge / purses / or thynges lyke Herof shall he not nede / whyles he may pyke Upon the bayte / tyll he therof be full His besynes may cause hym to be dull Now Ioyeth he a whyle / and hym delyteth To do pleasaunce / ryght well he hym acquyteth Newly so entred / in to the foresayd gin And for a tyme nothynge dysmayed therin Supposynge out to go / but there yet styll He must abyde / and dwell maugre his wyll And to repent / there is no tyme ne houre For with the swete mete / the sauces soure Contynuaunce wyll cause hym to assay Syth he can not escape by ony way And for to put his wyfe in suche degre As appertayneth of necessyte It hym behoueth honeste to saue

Andlo may be / his wyfe an herte may haue Ryght good / desyrynge to be fresshe and gay For peraduenture / she this other day Was at a feest / where she dyde well aduyse Women of her degre / all otherwyse Than she / appoynted / clothed / and arayde Within her mynde / than to her selfe she sayde That by her byrthe / she ought as well as they To be apparayled and in as good arey So she compaceth / castynge in her mynd▪ The day and houre / out craftely to fynde To her good man / this mater to declare But her entent to shewe / yet wyll she spare Tyll she with hym / at nyght be gone to bedde For there these wyues trust well to be spedde Of suche petycyons / as they requyre Accordynge to theyr wylles and desyre Whan that this wyfe / in bedde is layde thus Sadly she sayth / for loue of cryst Ihesus Syr lete me be in rest / for euyll at ease I am / and he whiche gladly wolde her please Answereth and sayth / tell me wherfore it is That greueth you / she sayth grete cause y wys Haue I / for ye care nothynge what I saye Or shewe to you / in ernest or in playe He sayeth than / why speke ye in suche a wyse By god and all his sayntes in paradyse She sayth / no myster it is that ye it knewe For whan I speke to you but wordes fewe Lytell accompt therof or rekenynge ye make certayne / demynge for other thynge Suche wordes I haue / and yet it is not so Whiche causeth me / oft tymes to be wo

Truly sayth he ye shall tell your dysease Than answereth she / syr syth it may you please For so the I shall you tell / this is the cas This other daye at suche a feest I was The whiche in trouth / me plased nothynge wele And wherfore I shall tell you euery dele Whan I there was / I thynke it veryly There was no wyfe arayed soo symply Though she were neuer of soo lowe degre As I was than / ye may byleue well me How be it syr / surely I saye not this For praysynge of my selfe / but soo it is I thaynke god of his mercy and grace That I am comen / of as good a place As ony gentyl woman that was there I me reporte / to suche as knowen where My lygnage and myn ancestres but late Abydynge were / and for myn owne estate This saye I not / sauynge I am ashamed That ye or elles / my kynne shall be defamed Nothynge care I / of clothynge what I haue So that alwaye / your honour ye may saue And than sayth he / in what estate were they At thylke feest / now tell me I you praye Now by my trouth / syth ye wyll knowe algate She sayth / there was not one in her estate Egall to me / but she a newe gowne had And was than better besene and clad Of what clothe were / these gownes sayth he Of scarlet fyne / of grene or perce sayth she Furred ryght wele / with menyuer or gray With traynes longe / and sleues large / so they Had eke of rede / or grene / all gyrdelles good

Hangynge vnto the grounde / and by the rode Theyr gownes were made of the newest gyse And of the best maner / one coude deuyse But there had I vpon my weddynge gowne Well ouer worne / and of the olde facyon Whiche ouer lytell / and to shorte for me Is waxen as ye may perceyue and se For I am growen more / syth it was made Than at my maryage / whan I it hade For whan I gyuen was to you alone I was but yonge and lytell of persone And so moche wasted am I now for payne Whiche I of late haue had / that in certayne I seme now wele a moder for to be To her that myght be moder vnto me And in good sayth so sore asshamed was I Whan that I was amonge this company That I ne coude ne durste make countenaunce And yet had I more payne and dyspleasaunce Whan that a lady there / of suche a place Afore them all wolde saye vnto my face Grete shame it was my clothes were so bad And wondred why that I no better had For whiche they toke to me but lytell hede Unneth they turne them wolde / so god me spede To warde me / saue of theyr gentylnesse Of very pyte and of lowelynesse The good man than her husbande answered tho ye knowe ryght wele that we haue moche to do Wherfore my loue now herken what I saye Remembre ye the same tyme and the daye Whan in to maryage we entred were Plente of money / plate or other gere

We had but small ryght wele herofye knowe For whiche your selfe ye may suppose and trowe That it he houeth vs now for to bye Beddes and other thynges hastelye And at this tyme syluerne golde in store Lytell haue we how be it ferthermore yet must we bye / for wynnynge and encres Kyne and other catelles neuertheles In suche a place / for our prouysyon Also this other daye there fell a down The pygnon of our hous / for couerture It lacketh / wherfore dame I you assure Made must it be in haast of very nede And also other maters for to spede I haue / for whiche grete money shall I spende Or I may brynge my werkes to an ende And ouer this certes within shorte space Unto thassyse holden at suche a place For me to go it is well necessary Bycause of suche a plee I may not tarye That for your londe I haue to pursue there Of whiche as yet I may saye this and swere I haue had lytell prouffyte or auayle But spende my goodes / laboure and trauayle A syr she sayd / now wote I well that ye None otherwyse can speke but repreue me Of my landes / this may I not abyde And in her bedde / vnto that other syde All hastely she turneth with a grone Sayenge / for goddes loue let me alone For neuer shall I speke to you aga•••••• What deuyll sayth this man why do y〈…〉〈…〉layne And are so wroth / without cause resonab••…••…

I am not fyr / the say th / ne yet culpable Though ye but lytell had / whan ye me toke For dyuers to me spake / that I forsoke Of .xx. places / whiche wolde noo good craue So that they myght onely my body haue In maryage withouten golde or rente My person was to them suffycyente But so it was / that ye ofte came and wente And many a messenger vnto me sente By suche subtyll maner crafte and mene So that all other I refused clene And had noo wyll / ony to haue but yow For whiche grete blame & maulgre haue I now Bothe of my lorde / my fader be ye sure And of my moder / out of all mesures Wherof I may haue hate and grete dysdayne And syr this questyon I aske agayne If ony woman / at this sayd feest there In suche a wyse cladde or arayed were As I beynge to me / in lyke estate Nay syr not one / I was infortunate Thyder to come / for by saynt Iohan I saye The symplest gownes / that they gaue a waye Unto theyr chamberers / were better cloth Than is the gowne / whiche on my body goth On londayes / or on the holy daye So wote I not herof what is to saye Moche people good out of this worlde departe Wherof grete domage is / but for my parte I saye / yf god were pleased I sholde decesse To you it wolde be lytell heuynesse For noo dyspleasure / wolde ye for me take But hastely gete you an other make

By god sayth he / that is nothynge well sayd Suche symple wordes / myght aparte be layd For there is nothynge that I for you do But wele ye ought to take regarde therto Turne you to me / & what thynge ye lyke best I shall perfourme / for goddes sake let me rest Sayth she / now sothly nothynge alyeth me And wolde our lorde / that in lyke caas were ye But neuer shall ye touche me after this No shall sayth he / no syr she sayth y wys To make all wele / than thynketh he and sayth If I were deed I knowe it by my fayth Unto an other / soone wolde ye maryed be Nay syr by hym that dyed on a tree Touchynge suche pleasure / as I vnto this daye Haue had in maryage / I swere and saye Durynge my lyfe / that neuer mouth of man Shall touche to myn / and she to wepe began Sayenge these wordes / to god I make auow If that I knewe to lyue here after yow I sholde so deale / that I afore wolde go The teeres fell downe fro her eyen two Thus he demaundeth her with wordes fayre All be it soo / she thynketh the contrayre The good man demeth than / he is all eased But yet agayne / in mynde is he dyspleased Supposynge / that of nature she is colde Of body chast / & deale with no man wolde Also he troweth that she hym loueth wele Thus he in herte is eased euery dele Bycause he seeth her som what wepe afore He trusteth that she loueth hym the more Wherof he hath a pyteous herte and mynde

And can not be in rest tyll that he fynde The wayes how he may her content & ease All that he can / he dooth her for to please In dyuers wyse / with laboure and trauayle But all for nought / it may nothynge auayle For she alwaye a wayteth for to pyke Upon the stroke that she afore dyde stryke That is to saye / a newe gowne wolde she haue The whiche for cruell stomocke nolde she craue She passeth tyme / and no good wyll she do But at suche houre as she was not wonte to Up ryseth she / and after all that daye A cursed angry there maketh she alwaye And not one fayre worde than wyll she speke So in her breste the malyce dooth she steke Soone after this cometh the seconde nyght That she to bedde must go as is it ryght With her good man / & whan that she is layde In bedde / than he whiche is not wele apayde Beholdeth wele loketh and taketh kepe On her to knowe / whether that she wake or slepe He wele aduyseth yf her armes bothe Be couered wele and surely with the clothe And heleth them yf nede or mayster be Wher with anone suche countenaunce maketh she As thoughe she were out of her slepe a waked Slepe ye sayth he / I thought ye had ben naked Nay syr she sayd / what be ye not appeased Sayth he / no syr myn herte is lytell eased Syghynge sayth she I thanke god of his sounde I haue yuoughe to lyue vpon the grounde By god sayth he / dame we shall haue ynowe Of worldly goodes / and nere to her he drowe

Sayenge I haue be thought me of a thynge ye shall be at my cosynnes weddynge And ye shall haue ordeyned as goodly gere For you as ony gentyl woman there Certes she sayth / all thoughe ye saye the best Of all this yere / I wyll go to no feest Now by my fayth he sayth but yet ye shall And what ye wyll demaunde haue gowne & all What I demaunde she sayth / that is ryght nought For syr so god me helpe that all hath wrought I aske not to be Ioly for enuy Gladde wolde I be forsothe yf neuer I Out of your hous but vnto chyrche sholde passe Matyns to here euen songe and masse I saye it not ne yet no wayes seche Sauynge onely for suche vngoodly speche As was amonges other whiche I knewe By my gossyp / whome I fynde euer trewe For she the wordes harde all openly The whiche she shewed me full secretely Than thynketh moche this poore newe wedded man And in his mynde to compace he began Consyderynge in what caas that he stode A newe husholde hauynge lytell gode And moche to do he had by many a waye Not purueyed wele grete sommes to paye And fyfty scutes or syxty for this gowne He must bestowe / and shortly laye it downe And in his thought / cast a cheuysaunce For there may be none other waye ne chaunce But that this gowne nedely must be had Wherwith and other gere she shall be clad For he perceyued hath / by his aduyse

His wyfe a woman is / bothe good and wyse He thanketh god / the lorde of heuen blysse So fayre a Iuell / to gyue hym as she is From one syde to an other / he turneth ofte In bedde he slepeth not though he lye softe And it may happen soo / his wyfe this seeth Whiche subtyll is / and she within her teeth Wyll laughe / whan that she knoweth his conceyte whome she hath ouercome / with her deceyte After this nyght / whan comen is the morowe Aryseth vp this good man full of sorowe All ouercome with syghes / that he hath take The nyght afore / for his good wyues sake And in auenture to the market gothe With pawne or credence / for to by the clothe And straytly vnto marchauntes he hym byndeth Or elles to them suche Iuelles as he fyndeth Whether they be of syluer / or of golde Whiche he somtyme had / of his fader olde Then selleth he / or elles .x. pounde or more Of rente in mortgage layeth he therfore Shortly this man / dooth so his maters spede That he hath all suche thynges as in that nede Wher with he cometh home all spedyly And to haue thanke he demeth veryly She syenge this / made semblaunt hym before As though suche cost myght well haue ben forbore And that nothynge / she sette by gowne ne gayre That he home brought with hym for her repayre Cursynge all them with tonge / & not with thought That fyrst so grete estate and porte vp brought And whan she knewe that thynge was sure she sayd To her good man and hym besought and prayed

He neuer sholde reproue her of the daye That she had made hym spende for her araye His money or his goodes / and neuermore Her to rebuke / or elles vmbrayde therfore For by the gowne set I nothynge she sayth So that I may me kepe frome colde in fayth And alway haue one peny in my purse Whiche wyll suffyse to me though it were worse Anone was made this gowne / and eke an hood Also a gyrdell whiche was ryche and good And now are comen the termes & the houres whan that he must content his credytoures And this poore man not able is to paye Bycause his golde and syluer ben awaye And lenger wyll they not forbere this man But execute in all the haast they can They curse on hym / & she the same perceyueth And therof all the circumstaunce conceyueth And perauenture afore this curse procede Or elles after the lawe dooth hym sorbede In chyrche to be / wherfore his company Men wyll esche we and grudge all vtterly Hauynge dysdayne with hym to drynke & ete And he but lytell hath and none can gete Of money out of daunger hym to brynge God wote what Ioye he hath in his lyuynge His wyfe goth cryenge in the hous aboute Wher with a noyse she maketh and a showte And thus she sayth / ha cursed be the houre That I was euer in my moders boure Forth brought or borne / alas it had not happed That in the cloth / wherin I was fyrst lapped I had be buryed / for neuer so grete shame

Betydde to ony woman ne dyffame As to me and my kynne / now shall belayd Alas I laboure sore / and fast she sayd And all the laboure besynesse and cost That I haue done of many a daye is lost In twenty places or moo I had be maryed If I so wolde / but lyke a fole I taryed For where I myght grete honour & auayle Haue had / and rychesse / therof now I fayle I knowe how that theyr wyues be bysene That wolde haue maryed me / which doth me And therfore haue I heuynesse and wo That deth the lyfe nyll take my body fro Thus she complayneth her withouten care Of her husbande / or how the good man fare For hooly she hath sette her mynde vpon Her owne estate / and shortely she is gon Unto this maryage / and where she sholde Haue thought vpon her husbande she ne wolde But to this poore man putteth all the wyte Lyke as an hors that can bothe playne & byte This woman dooth / and she is cause of all For she this man hath made so bestyall Som what for sorowe / or elles wyse by playe That well nygh wasted is his wytte a waye So that he wyll not vnderstonde ne knowe That she is in defaute / wyll he not trowe And though he se the maters euydent yet of necessytee he is content But of the thought & sorowes to enquere It is but waast / syth ye the causes here Of this man whiche can neyther rest ne slepe That thynketh euery houre and taketh kepe

How that he may in ease this woman sette And fynde some remedy to paye his dette But yet is he more angry for his wyfe Whiche curseth hym / than all that other stryfe Thus soroweth he / in pouertee downe fall And frome that payne recouer neuer shall Prycked he is / but smarte can he none fele That all is Ioye / to hym it semeth wele Thus is this man within the lepe yclosed And parauenture so he is dysposed That he nothynge therof dooth hym repent For yf that he out of the same were hent Soone wolde he go agayne in to that gynne And all his payne and woo newly begynne yet sholde he neuer be in soo good cas As he hath ben afore he maryed was And there this poore man shall vse his lyfe Endynge his dayes in wretchednes & stryfe

¶Thus endeth the fyrst Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynnes the se∣conde Ioye of maryage.

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AS for the seconde Ioye of maryage It is whan y^t this wyfe of her courage Feleth that she so rychely is arayed In suche a wyse as here tofore is sayd And knoweth well ynough y^t she is fayre Than wyll she go frome home to take the ayre To many feestes and assembles eke And also holy sayntes for to seke On dyuers pylgrymages wyll she go All though the husbande be not pleased so Her Iourney enterpryseth she to ryde With her cosyon and gossyppes at a tyde And specyally for her kynnesmannes sake Her pylg•••••…•••••… deuoutly wyll she take And perauenture yet it may soo be That this man is as nyghe kynne vnto we As vnto her / but soo hym for to call

wonte and accustomed is she ouerall It may be thought for some entent or cause She calleth hym soo / but there I leue a clause Her moder than seynge her besynesse Cometh somtyme to this man I gesse And as a woman can begynne to clatter She sayth his herte to tycle and flatter This foresayd man / her cosyn is of blode For her to go with suche a company is good And other whyle the husbande is lothe That she sholde go / sayth sadly by his othe How he none horses hath ne other thynge Her to conuey to feest or gaderynge Than shall the gossyp or her cosyn saye I am ryght lothe by god and by this daye To go / for myn hous so god me spede Moche thynge haue I to do of very nede And were it not honour to you and me Speke wolde I not as now so mote I the For syr soo god me helpe I knowe it wele your wyfe to go is pleased neuer a dele She is a woman leest that loueth waast Of ony lyuynge / for euer she dooth haast Home warde whan she at ony place is oute For your expence & charge she hath suche doute So this good man / whos wysdome is to seche And sore abused with theyr flaterynge speche Demaundeth who goth in this campany Of men and other / and she sayth certaynly My cosyon and my godfader also My god moder and many an other mo your moder in lawe / whiche is your wyues moder My good cosyn your wyfe / and dyuers other

Also the wyues of suche a place in dede And your cosyn and hers haue ye no drede Other there be mo / dwellynge in your strete I dare well saye this company is mete A kynges doughter for to be amonge And be ye sure she wyll not tarye longe Soo is this sely man on honoure sette That in no wyse wyll he this vyage lette And perauenture she that thus dooth speke Shall haue a go wne or other thynges to breke The mater that the persone may be playd And thus it falleth ofte as it is sayd He sayth this company is good and fayre But she moche hath to do / and grete reparre At home how be it / for to goo as than She hath a lycence gyuen by this man whiche to her sayth / be ware how by the dayes ye be demeaned trauaylynge on your wayes Also take hede at nyght ye lodge you sure And god you kepe frome euyll auenture The good wyfe than / whiche doth perceyue & here That she hath leue / maketh coūtenaunce & chere At home for to abyde yet had she leuer Than forth to ryde / & from her home dysseuer She sayth my loue this tyme no cause haue I Out for to goo with suche a company I praye you that I may not goo this season Her cosyn than was nyghe herynge that reason Answered and sayd / what cosyn ye shall goo your gentyll husband wyll that it be soo The good man than a lytell abacke doth drawe And thus he sayth vnto his moder in lawe Ne were it for the trust I haue in yow

She sholde not go / this make I god auow Ha my good sone she sayth by heuen kynge That made this worlde / and euery other thynge ye may as surely and withouten drede Suffre her to go as for to saye your crede Thus they departe and on theyr waye be gone And as they go / these wordes than sayth one Unto an other he hath some Ialousye It semeth wele he dredeth Ieopardye Thus is he mocked by these womens arte For now come galauntes forth on euery parte whiche at the feest afore by auenture This foresayd werke haue made and put in vre And there awaytynge ben vpon theyr nede For to conclude and so forth to procede But how this wyfe now fested is & serued For loue of her good man all vndeserued And god wote how she doth herselfe applye To reuell daunce / and for to synge on hye Also she maketh good and mery chere But god wote how she prayseth her bedfere The husbande lefte at home whyle she is oute And seeth herselfe so praysed amonge the route Certes these galauntes than her do aduyse And se she is apparaylled in suche wyse Perceyuynge well her chere and countenaunce Shortely to hex eche one hym doth auaunce One profreth moche / an orher offreth more Harde is to me the cause to tell wherfore The Ioly chere the praty trotte and pace with the demeanynge of a womans face Wyll gyue these louers cause & hardynesse To sewe for grace vnto theyr worthynesse

One to her wordes gracyous dooth saye And other comēth asnygh her as he may And setteth his fote a lofte on hers playne Eke by the honde quyckly he doth her strayne Also an other his loke casteth a syde Full pyteously and sharpely for a tyde An other than vnto her dooth presente A dyamonde ryght fayre and oryente Or elles a ryche rubye with a rynge Whiche she receyueth with some other thynge By whiche thynges may she well vnderstande Of theyr entent / and fele it with her hande If she haue ony reason brayne or wyt And other whyles by fortune happeth it That frome her chayre alyght wyll she adown To doo some werkes of deuocyon Or vnto Uenus to doo sacrefyse But how can I not saye ne in what wyse This sely man at home in poore degree Is made and brought vnto necessytee For thylke estate that his wyfe doth pretende The mater thus hath dryuen to an ende And made her go to gaderynges and feestes Amonge a wycked company of gestes For vnto her they yolden be in trust To haue theyr pleasures appetytes and lust Upon none other thynge do they aweyte But how they may doo this poore man deceyte The stroke wherof he hath without escape Whiche comynly is called but a Iape So he is causer of his propre shame None other wyght therof is for to blame And thus it happeth by contynuaunce

That what by sygnesspeche or countenaunce Trouth of the thynge wherof he was in doute All openly reported is aboute Wherby he falleth Ialouse in a rage Out of the whiche there is no wyght so sage That hym can moue / for who that feruently Of woman feleth the cruell malady There is no medycyne that may hym cure The sekenesse is so sharpe without mesure Than wyll he bete her bytterly and curse Wherby the werkes maketh he moche worse For chastyce can he not by daye ne nyght His wyfe but by his betynge maketh lyght And hote the loue bytwne her & her frende Thus dryueth he the mater to an ende And soo he other whyles fortune may One of her lymmes breke or kytte a way Wherby his castell or his pyle he loseth Than as a mased beest he hym dysposyth Withouten care and all he setteth at nought Thus hath he founde y^e payne whiche he hath sought And neuer after wyll she loue hym more Bycause that he hath beten her so sore But for to passe the tyme and make a she we And of fayre wordes speketh she but fewe There this poore man in turment payne & wo Lyueth and yet he thynketh not so And all these soro wes / he for Ioyes doth take Soo in the lepe he is I vndertake Enclosed depe / and yfhe were withoute Yet shortely wolde he in withouten doute There vseth he his lyfe in paynes alwayes And wretchedly / thus endeth he his dayes

Thus endeth the seconde Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the thyrde Ioye of maryage.

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ANother Ioye whiche named is the thrydde Of maryage in no wyse may be hydde The whiche I purpose shortely to dclare Accordynge to myn auctour and not spare The whiche is whan man in youth doth wedde A yonge mayde / and whan they bothe in bedde Haue had theyr pleasures largely and desyre And well aswaged is the brennynge fyre The hoot heruest is well ouerblowe As it with me and other is I trowe Soone after this her bely doth aryse

And waxeth grete / as is the comyn gyse Wherof the husbande alwaye hath the name And perauenture he nothynge to blame Is of the dede / for so it happeth ofte As some men saye in preuy counseyllsofte And therat meryly wyll laughe or hum But this is de secretes mulierum The husbande than in to suche thought doth fall And turmentes that he ronne and trotte shall To gete the wyfe all she shall nede Forth on his Iourney swyftely doth he spede And yf he tryppe or stomble by the waye He may fall in the myre by nyght or daye And grete auenture shall be yf he brynge Uytaylles that may be good to her lykynge All thoughe he hath done neuer so grete payne Whyles he was out / tyll he came home agayne And ofte it happeth so that for suche mete As comynly she vsed hath to ete Bothe lust and appetyte from her do pas Bycause her stomacke is not as it was Than she desyreth to haue thynges straunge And noueltees her dyerte for to chaunge For whiche this poore man must trotte on fote Or elles ryde there is none other bote Bothe nyght & daye / to gete where he may fynde Suche delycates as may content her mynde And in this turment seuen yeres and more Is this good man / and yet she euermore Nothynge wyll do but playe the wanton so That therof pyte hath this husbande tho Whiche of the hous alwaye the charge doth bere And se all thynges well ordred euery where

Erly to ryse / and late to goo to bedde He must and se all maters be wellspede And on his husholde / after suche estate As he is of remembreth he algate Now dooth the tyme approche of trauaylynge And she a chylde in to the worlde shall brynge God faders than in haast / god moders eke As she wyll ordre / besyly to seke He hath grete thought and out goth in an hete The nourysses and gossyppes for to gete Whiche must her kepe of chylde whyle she lyeth in What tyme his double sorowe dooth begyn For so they drynke the wyne in euery houre As in to olde botes one dyde it poure Now lyenge in her trauayle payne and wo This wyfe auoweth twenty waye and mo On pylgrymage to go for her good spede To be put out of her grete payne and drede This poore man auoweth eke for toryde Unto all halowes / and now on euery syde The gossyppes come / and this good man must gete Suche vytayles as they may well drynke and ete So that they may in suche a wyse be eased As they shall holde them well content & pleased This done / the wyfe and gossyppes talke togyder And fast they carye in for drede of weder All be it soo / this good man hath the payne That trauayle must in wynde snowe hayle or rayne And whan he is forth passed on his waye One of the gossyppes wyll these wordes saye Alas my gossyp whiche now is withoute An harde fytte hath / that am I out of doute A foule and euyll weder now it is

No force an other sayth so haue I blysse He is ryght wele at ease / and so be we But yf it fortune soo / somtyme that he Fayle of suche thynge as were vnto theyr paye One of the gossyppes to the wyfe shall saye Gossyp I meruayle moche / and so dooth all This felawshyp / that it so is befall And we haue wonder what it may amount That your husbande doth make so lytell count Of you or of your yonge chylde here in trouthe A gentyll herte wolde pyte haue and routhe Beholde it wele / conceyue what he wolde do yf ye had chyldren fyue or syxe yet mo It doth appere he leuoth you but lyte Wherof bothe ye and we may haue dyspyte Consydred where ye lust hym for to take He hath more honoure truely for your sake Than euer ony of his lygnage bore Haue had in dayes passed heretofore By god I saye / that is our lorde Ihesus Rather than my husbande serued me thus I had well leuer / eyther he were deed Or elles that he none eye had in his heed Than sayth an other / gossyp fynde some bote Let not this man thus cast you vnderfote For he shall doo to you whan ye be layde As moche agayne or more / now haue I sayde An other sayth / my cosyon I meruayle ye take no more regarde to your auayle Consydred / ye be wyse of good lygnage And he not lyke to you / though maryage Hath coupled you and all men hygh & lowe How ye hym suffre vnderstonde and knowe

And he doth you so grete domage alwaye Than doth the wyfe answere agayne and saye Truely my dere gossyppes what is the best To do as in this caas so haue I rest Nothynge knowe I ne wayes fynde I can To helpe my selfe he is so euyll man An euyll man he is / one of them sayth But I shall tell you truely by my fayth My gossyppes that be here / they knowe well whan I was fyrst maryed to myn husbande than Men sayd he was so dyuers of his wyll That it was wonder but he wolde me kyll By god my gossyp though he so were named I thanke our lorde he is now ryght wele tamed For he had leuer fall and breke his arme Than me to do dyspleasure hurte or harme But fyrst whan we togyder maryed were To speke than he began with angry chere And for to stryke as dooth a carlysshe mon But by the sacrament of god anon Fast with my tethe I toke the brydell so That he me bette no more, but tymes two Wherin he played the very fole and more For after was I moche wors than before And he hath tolde my gossyp sykerly That he in me coude put no remedy Now may I speke and do all that I wyll And be it ryght or wronge vntrouth or, skyll Alwaye with me the last worde shall remayne So whan he speketh I chekke hym vp agayne There is no game lyke it / whiche is to playe With players and put besynesse awaye For gossyp neuer man yet was so harde

I you eusure but yfhe be answarde Well by his wyfe she shall soone make hym fre And debonarye / yf that she wytty be An other sayth / my cosyn be well ware ye speke to hym / and for no drede ye spare Whan he cometh home / and saye the best ye can And in this wyse / gouerned is this man Than drynke they fast & saye saynt Iohn̄ to borowe And take theyr leue vnto the nexte moro we What tyme agayne they wyll retourne to se The maner all / how she shall gouerned be But whan this poore man cometh home agayne With vytaylles and with other thynge certayne And seeth there is grete waast made in his hous Of goddes and he is inly couetous Than salleth he heuynesse and payne For thought that hym doth by the herte constrayne An houre or two by nyght he doth aryue For he hath comen ferre to se his wyue And for to vnderstonde yet ferthermore How that she dooth / he coueyteth ryght sore Whether she be hole / or how it with her is In ony wyse to knowe wyll he not mys One nyght frome home he dare not lodge withoute Of his expence he hath suche fere and doute In to his hous with Ioye entred is he And all his seruauntes there in theyr degre Instructed be and taught in suche a wyse Lyke as the good wyfe lyst afore deuyse For elles though neuer so good & true were thay They sholde not tarye there well halse a daye Now he demaundeth how the good wyfe doth And therof wyll he vnderstonde the soth

Than sayth her chamberer whiche dooth her kepe Syr she is very seke and may not slepe Syth ye departed hens ete myght she not But lytell she amended is god wot Than is this man all sorowfull and sadde Whiche hath ben wette w^t reyne & harde bestadde For oftentyme by hym and other moo Parauenture it may well happen soo That he is faynte and his hors at assaye For he hath passed by an euyll waye And they percas of all the daye afore Haue neyther dronke ne eten lasse ne more And yet wyll not this poore man ete a bytte Tyll tyme that he may vnderstonde & wytte How his wyfe dooth / & than the chambrerere Olde matrones / & the nouryse drawen nere And seruauntes whiche enfourmed ben how they After theyr charge shall them demeane alwey They she we theyr personages as they were wroth Than wyll not he abyde / but vp he goth In to the chambre / comynge her agayne And at his entre / softely she dooth playne Upon the bedde afore her leneth he Sayenge my bestbyloued how do ye Ryght seke she sayth my lorde / and than he there Demaundeth how in what a wyse and where My loue sayth she / ye knowe well that oflate I am made feble / and in poore estate Than answereth he to her as in this wyse Haue ye not ordeyned so that some colyse Of a fatte capon for you may be made Now syr so god me helpe / ryght so I hadde She sayth of late / but they it can not make

In fayth quod he loue I shall vndertake To make you one full well and holsomly The whiche shall no man touche but ye and I And ye shall ete it for the loue of me She sayth my loue I wyll well it so be This good man than goth to the coke in hast He stampeth fast and ordeyned herrepast Fast chydeth he / and sayth they be but bestes For they can dyght no metes at requestes Than hastely he dooth this soupynge bere Unto this wyfe / and whan he cometh there With prayer he enforceth her to take Somwhat therof and ete well for his sake And so she dooth and sayth syr good it is But so was not that they haue made or this For it was nothynge worth a symple fle And with that worde frome her departeth he To souper / and adowne he dooth hym fette And therupon the vytaylles be forth fette None of the delycates that gossyppes ete The daye afore / whiche were not for hym mete Not perauenture of the messes che••e He had but of the fragmentes and belefe Whereof the olde wyues haue take theyr fyll And god wote in what wyse they dranke theyrtyll Thus was this wery man at souper fedde Wher with he is content and goth to bedde All sobrely with heuynesse and soro we And whan that comen is the nexte inoro we Unto his wyfe he góoth / and in this wyse He sayth / my loue tyme is ye a wake and ryse And go to masse for we so moche do spende That all our money nygh is at an ende

This cost is grete / we may not bere out it And she answereth a syr it is not yet No whyle syth I was layde / & so grete payne I haue that yet I can not well sustayne Myselfe / but now I wote it and byleue Ye thynge it longe / & sore it doth you greue That I ne laboure in the hous agayne In suche a wyse as though I sholde be slayne I vnderstonde it is your mynde and wyll That iu this wyse I sholde my selfe do kyll Alas I se in tyme to come that I Ryght moche shall haue to su••••••e certaynly If that I sholde haue x or xii. yet mo Chyldren / but god defende that it be so For yf it myght hym please I wolde be gladde That neuer one after this tyme I hadde And please it to god that I more chylde haue neuer But his cōmaundement be perfourmed euer In me and all his wyll lowly obeyd Ha sayd this man / alas what haue ye sayd Ye mone yourselfe without cause or encheson For I dare saye and make it good by reoson Was neuer poore man yet of myn estate That suffre hath soo moche as I of late Frome hens forth in it shall me lyke & please That whan ye wyll ye aryse or take your ease Than sayth she thus / my counseyll is that one Go streyght vnto my gossyppes all anone And saye to them they come no more to me For I am euyll dysposed in certaynte My loue sayth he they shall come and haue all Suche thynges as may them please in specyall Syr than sayth she / no more let me be styll

And do ye all thynges as it is your wyll Than cometh a matrone with a wryngled face An olde kepster with whome is lytell grace And to the good man out her mynde doth breke Pease syr she sayth / no mo suche wordes speke For to a woman that is voyde of brayne And feble / and so tender in certayne Grete peryll is to speke so in her payne And ther withall she draweth the courtayne So doth this man lyue sorowfully alwayes And wretchedly so shall he ende his dayes

¶ Here endeth the thyrde Ioye of maryage.

¶ Here begynneth the fourth Ioye of maryage.

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THe fourth Ioye of maryage to tell Is as to go fronte purgatorye to hell

For it is whan he whiche hath maryed be Kepynge an housholde after his degre where he hath dwelled styll .viii. yeres euen And hath of yonge chyldren ••••r•• or seuen Passynge full many an euyll nyght & daye Unhappely as ye haue herde me saye wherof he hath had many an euyll ende Thus is his youth gretely made colde & spende And it were tyme for hym sore to re••••••te If that he coude / as synners sholde in lente But of his hous whiche he must kepe algate He is soo inly wery and soo mate That what someuer the wyfe wyll speke or do Nought careth he / ne taketh hede therto For he as harde and dull is as an asse whiche for no prycke ne sporre wyll faster passe This poore man doughters hath yet one or twayne The whiche may fortune wolde be maryed fayne They redy be and on the houre they tarye Awaytynge fast who wyll come them to marye They be in Ioye▪and it may happen to The man is poore / and lyueth in care & wo Nygh moneyles / and hath no grete substaunce For maryage to make his cheuysaunce Also vnto his sones he must bye His doughters & his other small meynye Doublettes hosyn kyrtels and vytayle And many an other thynge withouten fayle His sayd doughters he must repayre and kepe All honestely and gaye / elles wyll they wepe And for thre thynges this nedely must be done One is bycause they may be asked sone Of dyuers galauntes dwellynge them aboute

An other is withouten ony doute All were it so that this good man ne wolde yet so to be / for nothynge it ne sholde For why the wyfe hath passed the same ways And she ne wyll it suffre by this daye Also there is an other reason why Bycause they haue good myndes & hertes hye And are accustomed to be fresshe & gay For otherwyse wyll they not be ne may And in auenture yf they otherwyse Entred were / anone they wolde practyse To haue theyr Iolynettes / for helpe and ease But there an ende / of that I holde my pease So is this man on euery parte dysmayd These charges berynge / as afore is sayd And perauenture soo he is bestadde That symplely and poorely he is cladde Of whiche araye yet careth he nothynge So he may haue a passe tyme and lyuynge And this suffyseth well to hym alwaye As to the fyss he doth in the lepe to playe Whyles he may haue a tyme and suffraunce Therin to lyue and languysshe ni penaunce And yet therby abbredged ben his dayes So fareth it by suche a man alwayes The whiche in to the lepe of housholdynge Is put where he shall suffre suche turmentynge As I haue sayd / and other innumerable And thus he seeth these thynges so chargeable That all he sette at nought soo he lyue may As doth an hors morfounded by the waye Whiche none accompte doth set by sporre ne thynge That may to hym be done in trauaylyage

This not withstondynge / wheder he wyll or not Forth hym behoueth for to goo and trot To gouerne londe and lyuelode whiche is his Ryght after suche estate as he of is And perauenture he hath horsest wayne The whiche be lene & poore for lacke of grayne And it soo fortune may he hath but one Or yet not one / but forth he gooth anone And .xx. myle or fourty from his place He trauaylleth / within a lytell space Unto the parlyament / or to thassyse Where he hath for to sewe in dyuers wyse For suche a cause▪as other thynges amonge Hath ben dependant in the lawe there longe A payre of botes well of thre yeres olde Or foure he hath to kepe his legges frome colde The whiche full ofte haue mended ben alowe Ryght craftely for drede it sholde be knowe So that parte whiche was somtyme on the kne Amyddes the shynne must nedely vsed be Full ofte they chaunged haue theyr former face And that hath brought them from aboue so bace A rustye payre of sporres he hath eke Wherof one of the rowelles be to seke Also of .x. yeres olde he hath a gowne Not of the newest gyse ne facyowne The whiche for drede that he sholde it appere Excepte on hygh feestes he nolde it were Or elles whan he frome home sholde go or ryde All other tymes it was layde clene a syde The cause why it was of so olde a shappe May be for soo it fallen is by happe That gownes be made all in a newe gyfe

But this to hym dooth well ynoughe suffyfe And in his wayes yf that he se or here Ony Instrumentes or playes ay they answere As semeth hym by so wynge in his ere Of his housholde bycause his mynde is there He lyues harde and poorely by the wayes So do his horses / and his page alwayes Whiche page is all to ragged and to rent As pluto was that rode to parlyament Upon his syde a rustye sworde and bad He ware the whiche his mayster goten had In flaunders at a bataylle / also he Those bowges caryed that were wonte to be Ofte vsed to conueye bothe nygh and farre His legge harneys alwayes in tyme of warre Sortely to speke / he doth all that he may With lytell cost to trauayle by the waye For he at home ynough hath for to spende Also these aduocates to hym offende Sergeauntes gryffyers / and suche a companye So largely take of hym that he doth hye Home warde as fast as he his hors can dryue And perauenture whan he cometh to his wyue It is nygh the mornynge as the nyght And whan he is at home he doeth alyght Where he noo souper fynde can ne espye Bycause his wyfe and other companye Unto theyr beddes were gone som what afore Or he came home / but he dare saye no more But taketh all in pacyence and gree For here vnto accustomed hath he be And yf it happe that he come in good houre Wery and sadde with trauayle and laboure

Pensyfe heuy / and of his charges greued Supposynge to be welcomed and releued How be it many tymes he hath had And he doth thynke ryght euyll chere & bad The good wyfe chydeth than & clappeth fast As though a tempest were or thonder blast Within the hous / and yf that this good man Lyst to cōmaunde / or bydde his seruaūtes than To gete hym ony thynge that he wolde haue There is not in his hous so lewde a knaue That maketh accompte therby ne wyll obey So by theyr dame afore taught ben all they Wherfore to speke he loseth tyme and payne But she ther with be pleased in certayne And yf his ladde in ony wyse demande Mete for hym selfe / or for his hors prouande He shall be checked and rebuked so That he shall not dare speke suche wordes mo Also this poore man that is soo lage Wyll make no noyse for hymne for his page But taketh all in pacyence and sayth Dame ye do well / and yours in good fayth Ther with she answereth hym all hastely ye haue more lost and spent now folyly Than ye wyll wynne of all these yerest waye I tolde you late in twenty deuylles waye ye sholde haue made ourhenhous close or now A martron eten hath this tell I yow Thre of myn olde hennes ye shall perceyue What harme we haue therby / thus ye deceyue By god I knowe yfye may lyue your age ye shall be poorest man of your lygnage Fayre dame sayth heno mosuche wordes saye

I haue ynough / and so shall haue alway Our lorde I thanke / and yf it do hym please I am content / and thynke me well at ease For of my kynred there ben full ryght good men In your kynred / hase now / sayth she then By saynt Mary / I knowe not where they be And at the leest I coude them neuer se Dame by my fayth he sayth / some be ryght gode Of my lygnage / I wolde ye vnderstode The whiche be worthe as moche or more than ye What they / she sayth / be they lyke vnto me ye dame sayth he / nay syr by god sayth she I tell you well your dedes were but small without my frendes helpe in especyall Now fayre dame / for goddes loue sayth he Haue pacyence / and lete suche wordes be Certes she sayth / yf that my frendes were here And you suche / wordes had / they wolde answere you well ynough / then he the mater feres Leest it by her / sholde come vnto theyr eres Wherfore to kepe all thynges in pacyence No more sayth he / but resteth with sylence And here with all / begynneth for to wepe A lytell chylde / that can not go but crepe And she anone / a rodde taketh in her hande And in dyspyte / of this good poore husbande More than for other cause or chastysynge Upon the buttockes / she dooth it bete and dynge This lytell babe / and than he sayth no more Bete it fayre dame / and waxeth wrothe therfore And she begynneth for to chyde and crye In all the deuylles names of hell on hye To gouerne them / she sayth ye haue no payne

They cost you nought / but I haue cause to playne For alway vpon them I must attende God gyue it shamefull deth / and euyll ende Ha fayre dame sayth he / that is foule sayd with that the nouryce shortely dooth out brayde And sayth a syr / full lytell do ye knowe The sorowe that here is amonge vs I trowe And what payne that it were to you / yf ye Sholde kepe and nourysshe them so as do we Now by my trouth / than sayth the chamberere It is grete shame to you syr / wyll ye here For whan that you come home / we sholde be fayne Of your comynge / but ye make noyse and playne And all your hous / ye set in grete debate This man seynge this / and ther with is chekmate How he on euery syde is prycked sore And he can gete no remedy therfore All wery gooth he souperles to bedde And yf he soupe / god wote how he is fedde Or eased / after he to slepe dooth lye, And hereth all the nyght his chyldren crye For wytyngly the nouryce and the moder Do let them crye / they wyll it be none other In grete dyspyte of hym whiche all the nyght Dooth passe in sorowe / vnto the dayes lyght All these tourmentes / he for Ioye dooth holde For why / none otherwyse he lyue ne wolde Therfore he is / and alway shall abyde In sorowe thought / and care on euery syde And wretchydly his dayes in payne and wo He shall endure / and make an ende ryght so

¶Here endeth the fourth Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the fyfth Ioye of maryage.

[illustration]

OF marayge for to declare or wryte The fyfth Ioye / now god wolde I were quyte So lytell fruyte or pleasure stante therin That I am wery falfe or I begyn Whiche is whan y^t the good man whiche is maryed Longe tyme in trauayle hath / and wo taryed And many a payne endured hath before Whose youth is gretely ouer drawen therfore And he is veray wery faynte and mate But by auenture it may so be algate He hath a wyfe more greter of lygnage Then he / and eke more yonger of heraege

The whiche be two grete and doutfull thynges To medle with / and namely in weddynges For better none can do hymselfe to waste Than in these twayne / to lappe or put in haste His body / and well vnderstonde it why For two repungnaunce / they be truely Wherfore agaynge nature it were and ryght They sholde accorde by daye or elles nyght And other whyles so is that he and she Some chylde may haue / or elles that none there be This not withstandynge she is nothynge sette To payne / for why / the good mau wyll not lette But she be kepte in pleasure ease and wele Wherfore he traueyleth / and dooth euery dele Whiche is to mayntene suche a Ioly state And costyous / as she wyllkepe algate And yf she wolde haue thynge that there is not That she may haue it / he wyll go or trote For she wyll not make lo wer ne empeyre Her lygnage by her dyete ne her geyre The husbande taketh all this for honoure And thanketh god entyerly of that houre In whiche he of his grace / her hath hym sent So what she dooth or sayth he is content And often tyme it happeth at a tyde Whan they begyn / to vercyfy or chyde She sayth to hym by maner of manace Ye knowe ryght well / of what an house or place I comen am / and was not gyuen to the A drabble or elles a dreuyll for to be She sayth as soone / as I wyll sende or wryte Unto my kynne and frendes of this dyspyte Anone they wyll come hyder for tose

How I do here / and therfore dare not he For ony cause / ones touche her with his hande With staffe ne stycke / for all his goodes and lande Though he with mouthe / grete wordes hath ysayd. As styll he is / and muet as a mayde In bondage grete / me semeth that he is And so it may well be that she or this Had by her frendes maryed ben aforne Unto / a rycher man / and better borne Than he / and in a hygher state be sette If that in her had ben no faute ne lette But for there was before some lytell Iape That in her yought fortuned for to scape To cole her thryst / as dyuers folkes well trowe She had not elles ben maryed hafe so lo we Wherof the husbande had no knowlegynge Or perauenture he hath herde some thynge But this good man / of suche fayth and beleue Is made / that this thynge lytell dooth hym greue For he hath herde it, sayde / and so worne or then Of many folkes / and of ryght good men That all suche cursed langage was contryued Agaynst his wyfe / and he the same beleued They saye it is bostynges and auauntes Made by the meanes of Ioly frsshe galauntes And other sklaundrers that speketh shame Of women good / and falsely them defame Whan they togyders in the stretes walke Thus of good men and women wyll they talke What tyme that they nothynge may elles do Unthryfrely thus speke they euer mo Wherin god wote / grete sȳne do they & wronges In suche vngoodly wyse to vse theyr tonges

And yf so be this wyfe beholde and se Her husbande beynge in so lo we degre That he all Ioye hath lefte / dysporte and playe Thynkynge to make a cheuysaunce some waye Upon her lande / or elles it may be fall Of cheuysaunce he hath ynough at all And is a very nygarde / and a chynche That wyll not frely spende / but spare and pynche The whiche no pleasaunt thynge is to the wyfe That purposeth to lyue a lusty lyfe Bycause that she in seasons of the yere Wyll haue these noueltees / though they be dere As well in vytayle / gounes as atyre Grydels and other thynges at her desyre Lyke as she seeth her felawes vse and were At feestes and daunces euery where There as her cosyns / and her gossyppes be And with an other man / that alwayes she Useth to call her cosyn euermo And peraduenture yet he is not so Also somtymes well it fortune may That for the grete pleasures ease and play She hath / and seeth in many a sundry wyse Dysdayne her husbande she wyll and dyspyse And make a frende / suche as she wyll desyre Her hasbande then / in water or in fyre May lye / for she wyll loue hym neuermore Som folke wolde deme she were to blame therfore But ye must take the mater otherwyse For all is longe vpon his couytyse And he is sadde / and in perplexyte But she is lyght / and in prosperyte Not entred into thought ne negardy▪

She is but yonge / and so she wyll apply Her youthe in pleasure / lustes and delyte Aege is not mete vnto her appetyte So louynge is she / to her loue and kynde That to suche place / as she demeth hym to fynde Ofte wyll she take / her Iourney forthe and walke Or secretely / and softly forthe wyll she stalke Unto her frende / that lusty is and fresshe For veray loue her lymmes to refresshe And it may happen many tymes that she Sauynge her worshyp / seldon may hym se Then for to speke her good name and honoure Her messenger she sendeth at an houre That he shall come / and se her hastely The whiche is done ryght well and honestly Soone after this / whan comen is the nyght And this good man and she withouten lyght Be layde in bedde / and he somwhat wolde play With her / whose mynde is with her frende away This gentyll galaunt / whome of .viii. dayes & mo She hath not seen / and yet it may be so That on the moro we he wyll come for his wage All hote and hasty / hongry in a rage For perauenture he hath suche a tatche That he hath morned sore / and keped watche Bothe in the gardyns / also in the strete And they ne myght yet of longe tymes mete Ne speke to gyder / but on the moro we whan This man shall come / he wyll be hasty than His appetyte and h••nger to aswage Grete and wonder is / to speke of his courage And it may fortune otherwyse I trowe That they haue had leyser ynough to knowe

And so suche pleasure / as a man may thynke But I dare neyther speke ne loke but wynke Myn auctour wryteth / but so wyll not I That she demeaneth her ryght wantonly He sayth an hondred thynges she can make That toucheteth loue / for her good frendes sake And many a token wyll shewe and sygne Of loue / / the whiche I can not well deuyne She maketh eke melancolyes amonge Whiche to her husbande made she not of longe Also her loue dooth besynes and payne To do her pleasure / as he can agayne So many praty Iapes he wyll begyn That she grete Ioye / and conforte hath therin And those suche maner Iapes ben or playe That wedded men can not / ne wyll assaye And yf the can / afore or that they wedde Those they forbere / and set at nought in bedde Wherfore to she we it to a wyfe or teche The whiche more able is to rede or preche Then for to lerne percase moche more than he The good wyfe can in her necessyte Therfore he wyll not teche her in that guyse For she / than he more connynge is and wyse Now whan this wyfe / her loue hath at her wyll And they haue tyme / and leaser to fulfyll Theyr appetytes / suche Ioyes as they shewe Togyder / men haue herde of but a fewe For there no wyght is / that can tell or saye The pleasure that haue ben betwene them twaye And so she hath had suche dysporte and spede That nothynge prayseth she her husbandes dede After the whiche pleasures / Ioye and game

As grete delyte / and pleasure taketh the dame Of her good man / as one that tasteth wyne Whiche hath reboyled / and wyll neuer fyne After he hath dronke good wyne or yopocras And other whyle yet / thus may stande the case A drynker good whiche hath a feruent thyrste And drynketh small and musty wynes fyrste He thynketh them good ynough / his thyrst so grete Is / and the dryenes of his mouthe and hete But after he therof hath dronke his fyll He fyndeth a cursed tarage and an yll And yf that he sholde drawe agayne and taste yet though he myght / he nolde vnto it haste But in defaute of better wene it were Ryght so knowe ye that this good wyfe dooth here The whiche her louer / alway hath at nede At her desyres / suche maters for to spede And taketh a taste somtyme at request Of her husbande / for lacke of her good gest To passe the tyme and dryue the nyght awaye But other whyle / whan he hath luste to playe And she not so / she sayth lete me be styll Abyde / and towardes mornynge doyour wyll Nay certes dame / so wyll I not sayth he Wherfore I pray you / torne you vnto me Nay loue she sayth / by god and by saynt Mayre ye shall do me grete pleasure for to tarye Unto the moro we / and then he torneth awaye And dare not touche her ne no mo wordes saye So all the nyght / he lyeth styll in rest And slepeth metely well at her request Then this good wyfe / that on her loue dooth thynge Not carynge whyder her husbande flete or synge

Entendeth for to se vpon the morne Hero wne loue / whome she hath longe forborne Sayth to her selfe / for she is not alone My husbande shall not yet touche my persone Tomoro we / and therfore erly she arose Aud lefte her husbande / routynge in the nose And maketh suche a countenaunce as she A houswyfe good / and houssholder sholde be And peraduenture the husbande is in bedde Whyles that his wyfes meters is well spedde By her good loue / and she hath her desyre And he content is / with his wage and hyre Thus all that day / she is so well apayde That neyther seruaunt nedeth she ne mayde In euery place / so ordreth she the house And skyppeth aboute / as qnyckely as a mouse She clappeth to the doores and the wykket And is as mery as it were a crykket And somtyme it may fortune other wyse Whan that she wyll not frome her bedde a ryse But lyke a wanton or nycet play Then wyll she playne / a lytell afore the day And this good man dooth aske her what she eyleth In trouthe she sayth / I thynke my herte me feyleth Within my syde / I haue so grete a payne And in my bely whiche do me sore constrayne That it is meruayle / but as Cryst me saue I deme syr that the same sykenes I haue The whiche wonte was afore tyme me to take And namely whan I ouermoche dyde wake Torne you to me sayth he I you requyre By god sayth she / I am as hote as fyre For this nyght haue I had so sore a fytte

That lytell haue I slepte / or nothynge yet Then this good man her clepeth with his arme And feleth well that she is very warme He sayth then / trouth now saye ye certaynly But she hath other maner malady Of feuers / than that she wyll tell or she we For peraduenture / this false wyle shre we Thought that she was with her loue in her dreme Whiche made the swetynge frome her body streme Then this good man / her felynge in this hete Dooth couer her frome wynde / lest that the swete Sholde in warde passe / all so daynly or drynke Whiche were a peryllous thynge as he dooth thynge To her sayth he / dame kepe you well and sure Lye styll in bedde / whyle your swete dooth endure And I shall cause suche werkes to be doone As nedefull is / and vp he ryseth soone Perchaunce withouten fyre or candell lyght Some what afore the day / within the nyght And whan he so is vp all hastely He maketh a fyre for her / whiche easely Lyeth in her bedde / and laugheth by her selfe That in the derke / he walketh lyke an elfe An other tyme / yf this good man play wolde With her / as I here to fore haue tolde She well excuseth her / in luche a wyse Full ofte / as ye haue herde me late deuyse To scape a way / euer wyll she fynde a mene For she his dede / not prayseth worthe a bene And yet hath he / grete besynes y wysie At many a tyme / her for to coll and kysse But god wote how she is eased therfore If she be suche one / as is sayd to fore

Unto this man / the good wyfe wyll say thus I wolde that it myght please our lorde Ihesus ye neuermore sholde doo / ne yet assay Suche thynges as ye or this haue herde me say ye sholde forbere / and how what wolde yet not Do it your selfe sayth he / nay god it wot Sayth she / for yf y^t ye suche thynge wolde spare B othe ye and I sholde moche the better fare If I had knowen this or ye dyde me wedde I neuer wolde haue gone vnto mannes bedde what saye ye dame / now speketh this good man For what encheson dyde ye mary than I note quod she / but whan I was a mayde So as my fader and my moder sayde I dyde / and thought she spake suche wordes waste yet peraduenture afore she toke a taste what thynge is this to say / the good man sayth I founde you neuer afore this by my fayth To saythe trouthe in your entencyon But alway fast in this opynyon I wote not by my soule she sayth my loue This knoweth well the myghty lorde aboue Ne were it not / for your pleasure alone Now neuer wolde I do it by saynt Ihone This man well eased is / as god it wolde And to hym selfe he sayth / my wyfe is colde wherof he maketh none accompte ne tale And peraduenture she is whyte or pale Of nature feble / and complexcyon But he hath her / in his subieccyon And her he clepeth / and he kysseth so That all his pleasure / hath he or she go And this good wyfe / whiche for the tyme is there

Thynketh on other thynges and elles where She wolde she were / and god wote heuely Is she content / but well and womanly She kepeth her kyll / and dooth hym as rioche good As cast a stone agaynst a pyece of wood For helpe hym selfe / can he not ne socoure And she nothynge is gladde of his laboure How be it other dyde ryght well afore And she asyde turneth her chere therfore A lytell / for that tyme / so stant the cas For this is not / the good wyne ypocras whiche she afore at other tymes had This dooth her sore anoye / for it is bad My loue she sayth / ye make me all a fole Better it were for you vpon a stole To sytte / and of suche besynes you rest This good man whiche all taketh for the best Kepeth hym as well / and derely as he may That he of longe tyme wyll by no way Do her dyspleasure / trespace or offence The payne he dooth endure with pacyence He doubteth lore the good wyfe to dysplease And so he resteth / som what for his ease For he beleueth well / that of the game Nothynge she wolde / in ony wyse attame So putteth he hym selfe in suche dotage That he supposeth well it were domage To her complexyon she is so lowe And symple eke suche wordes for to knowe Bycause percase / that lately of her hewe She is dyscoloured in a maner newe wherfore the mater better he beleueth And it may fortune after thus it preueth

That this good wyfe a goune or other thynge Of her husbande wolde haue to her lykynge She knoweth well by his condycyon whan tyme is best to make a mocyon Aduysynge in her mynde hym to begyle To haue all her desyre / and on this wyle Remembreth she / that whan they and no mo In chambre be / and it dooth fortune so That they in pleasures and delytes be And in her mynde / she dooth perceyue and se That he with some thynge wolde haue to do Then wyll she put her good wyll there vnto And to make hym suche dalyaunce and chere That it is meruaylous to tell or here For why / a woman lerned in that arte A thousande thynges newe vpon her parte Can do / to make good chere and dalyaunce To whome she lust / suche is the guyse of fcaunce So in this dede the good man is well eased For he is not accustomed to be pleased with so good maner chere / and contenaunce She clepeth hym with all the cyrcumstaunce And on the vysage / kysseth she hym ofte where as she lyketh / with her lyppes softe Then this good man in this maner dooth say I deme ye wyll aske some thynge by my fay Of me / and she sayth nay my trende as now Nothynge but make good chere I craue of yow For yf it pleased god / I wolde deuyse To haue none other Ioye ne paradyse Than euermore bytwene your armes twayne To be / wherby exyled were my payne Truely my loue / and also god me saue

None other blysse wolde I desyre to haue For my mouthe touched not ne neuer shall No mannes mouthe / but yours in specyall Sauynge your cosyns and myn / well may ye wyt. And not but whan ye lyst to commaunde it Syr I beleue so gracyous and swete There is no man as ye / ne to me mete My loue sayth he / yf it a squyre were I wolde beleue you for to be your fere By / god she sayth / whan ones I dyde you se Ferre of / the same syght so rauyshed me And yet I dyde you but beholde a lyte Than ye had all myn herte / loue and delyte I wolde haue had none other by my choys Though it had ben the dolphyn of vyennoys I thynke almyghty god / wyll it so be That I shall lyue with you / and you with me For why / my fader and my moder bothe Dyspleased were with me / and wonder wrothe Bycause to haue suche one I nolde accorde But neuer wolde I by our blyssed lorde Though that one wolde haue stayne me w^t a knyfe yet thought I euer for to be your wyfe And I ne knowe what thynge that this may be Sauynge I thynke it is our destyne Than dooth this man his pleasure as hym lyketh And she is yelden therwithall and pyketh A countenaunce and sayth / now wote ye what I wyll demaunde / my loue refuse not that To promyse me I you beseche and pray The good man sayth / I wyll it not denay yf that it be suche thynge as I may do Ryght well dysposed wyll I be therto

My loue she sayth / the wyfe of suche a man A furred goune with myneuers had on This other daye / and yf that I durst craue I wolde praye you / that suche one I may haue Syr by my soule / for pryde or for enuy I saye it not / ne for to be Ioly But for by cause syr / that I thynke ye be As able as her husbande to kepe me And of more sustaunce / yf I sholde not lye To maynteyne me / bothe well and honestlye And she is not to make comparyson That knowe ye well / as vnto my person Ne syr to haue honoure / praye or laude I saye it not for gyle / deceyte / ne fraude But for this woman hath so grete a pryde I wolde be gladds that she layde it asyde And for none other thynge so haue I blys Than this good man / whiche perauenture is A grete nygarde / thynketh in his entente That she of gounes hath suffycyente And so a whyle he resteth in a thought And sayth my loue yf that it be well sought Haue ye not gounes ynowe you to suffyse Of dyuers sortes furred in goodly wyse yes syr she sayth / for yf I but a goune Had and no mo / though it were a russet broune I wolde not recke / and yet it were grete shame Than sayth this man / now care ye not good dame Now lete them speke / & talke ynough with sorowe For we of them / nothynge do begge ne borowe By god ye saye the trout he / but wyll ye here I am not lyke vnto a chamberere Of theyrs / and not so well cladde ne besene

As is my syster / ne as other bene And yet of yeres / more olde I am than she whiche is a foule / and an euyll thynge to se Then peraduenture / wyll this man consent That shortely she shall haue all her entent And what she wyll desyre in suche a rage whiche vnto hym / is nothynge but domage For whan that her demaunde / and her request She hath / for to be fresshe than is she prest To go where feestes / and these daunces be wherof no maner prouffyte geteth he Peraduenture she shall her dresse and paynt And haue so lytell vertue and restraynt That she in suche vnthryfty wyfe shall preue And neuer man suppose wolde ne beleue And yf this gowne her please not / wy•••• ye knowe She hath an other loue / ye may well trowe whiche peradtenture hath no ryches grete And is a galaunt fresshe / and can not gete More than to holde / and maytene his degre And therfore soone / aduyse herselfe dooth she Upon an other galaunt stoute and gay The whiche a dyamounde this other day whan that she was / at suche a maner feste Unto her wolde haue gyuen as a geste And sent vnto her / by her chamberere well twenty scutes / in his best manere Or thyrty / but so soone she ne them toke How be it / she gaue a goodly loke All though she gretely / dyde refuse as than wherby suche comforte / toke this gentylman That he spake to her chamberere agayne whome he met goynge / to warde a fountayne

Or elles where / and to her thus he sayde O Iane my veray loue / come hyder mayde I haue to speke some thynges with you now well syr sayth she / whan that it pleaseth you Good Iane he sayth / ye knowe ryght well the loue That I vnto your maystresse haue / aboue All other creatures / now I you pray Tell me yf ye haue herde her of me say Ony wordes / syr by my fayth sayth she Nothynge certayne / but good and honeste And she wolde you none euyll / hurte ne harme with that he taketh her softely by the arme Saynge good Iane my loue remembre me That I to her may recommaunded be And in good faythe here a goune I you gyue with all my herte / and seruyce whyle I lyue Now certes sayth the chamberere agayne That redy is to take the goune and fayne whiche he to her presenteth as I say Syr I wyll not receyue it by no way By god sayth he fayre Iane / but yet ye shall It is god wote / a symple gyfte at all And then he sayth vnto the chamberere I pray you that to morowe I may here Some newes of you / and thus god be your guyde Fare well syth ye / no lenger may abyde Than to her maystres streyght she gooth / and sayth Folkes haue I founde / in good poynt by my fayth what be they sayth her maystresse / tell me now The same it is / the whiche ryght well ye know And he as yet / is in good cas and plyte For he is taken / with the feuers whyte In suche a wyse / that what is best to do

He knoweth not / loue dooth constrayne hym so The wyfe sayth than / a goodly man he is And gracyous / ye say full sothe y wys The chamberere than sayth for in my dayes Suche one I neuer knewe at all assayes He is moost fayre full ryche / and well y shape Moost true of loue withouten deceyte or Iape And he can do ynough / his loue to please A lady myght / with hym be well at ease O Iane she sayth / by god I can not haue No suche thynges of myn husbande as I craue And yet yf he me hate / he playeth the fole For we shall brynge hym / in to an other scole By god my Iane / I haue so loued longe This gentylman / though I haue kepte my tonge That to none other / coude I gyue myn herte So am I take / that I can not asterte And this grete foly is / by god aboue For ony woman thus to sette her loue On ony man / that in this worlde is here And I shall tell you why / Iane wyll ye here For whan these men / on women lordes be All sodoynly in moost necessyte Causeles theo wyll forsake them and betraye And therof make / a tryfle or playe Then cometh this galaunt or that other parte And to the chamberere he speketh a parte Saynge in this maner / with handes vp Togyder Ioyned / close as ony cup My fayre loue Iane / ryghthumbly I you pray Tharye wyll do / and helpe all that ye may So that my werke ye well achyeue and spede And I shall neuer fayle you at your nede

So ye my maystresse / shall be euermo Then answereth she / and sayth yf I myght so Syr for your loue / I wolde speke what I myght But neuer medled I by day ne nyght Of thynges suche / alas my loue sayth he What shall I do / for goddes loue counceyle me By god she sayth / best is for you to speke your selfe / and vnto her your stomacke breke All well to poynte / the mater comen is For of her husbande / hath she late or this A goune desyred / onely but of clothe Whiche he denayed her / and she is wrothe I counceyle you / tomorowe that ye be Tymely at chyrche / where as ye may he••se And whan it happeth you / with her to mete So as it lyketh you / ye may her grete There may ye shewe / your mater and entent And suche as ye wyll / gyue to her present All be it so / that she it wyll not take yet more she wyll you prayse I vndertake your largesse and your bounte shall the le Alas my loue / me leuer were that she Take it that I wyll gyue her / than refuse Now syr sayth Iane / she wyll make her excuse But I shall say you / what thynge ye shall do After that ye / haue offred her vnto That thynge the whiche / ye wolde her gyue indede And she refuse it / than your cause to spedde Delyuer it to me / and at the lest To cause hex take it / I shall do my best For Ianone / can knowe her mynde and fele Now truely gentyll Iane / ye say ryght wele Then gooth the chamberere / in Crystes name

And whan she cometh home / she sayth madame A longe tyme it is / yf it you please Or that some folke be brought to hertes ease And who is that good Ia••e / tell me anone y wys medame / ye knowe the same mon What do away / I pray you tell me how It is fayre Iane / what tydynge with you now Certes madame / he wyll not fayle tomorowe In chyrche to speke with you / and all his sorowe Unto you wyll he shewe / so as he can ye may be sure / he is a gentylman But well and wysely / gouerne you alway And make it straunge / so as ye goodly may Not ouer moche of straungenes ne dysdayne Use may ye not / but so betwene twayne Demeane yon womanly / in hope that grace Therof shall growe within a lytell space Upon the morowe this wyfe gooth to kyrke As whan a thynge shall be / nedes must it wyrke So dooth this galaunt / whiche thre houres & more In good deuocyon god wote afore Passeth the tyme / and draweth to a place Where he the holy water / in her face May cast / and for to kepe all thynge frome shame He vnto other women dooth the same The whiche with her / be present than and there And they thanken hym in theyr best maner But this poore man / wolde do them more seruyce If he so myght / and dooth hym well aduyse That this good wyfe / styll testeth in her sete Lyuynge in hope / some grace of her to gete And sayth his bedes demeanynge hym with all As swetely as an ymage in a wall

And god wote / she is dressed proprely After her power / whiche he well dooth espy Beholdynge how she kneleth in her pewe So well apparayled / with so fresshe a hewe And vnto her / anone he draweth nere Where at theyr leyser / they do speke in fere But nothynge wyll she say / but herkeneth styll Unto the tyme / that he hath spoken his wyll Ne nothynge of hym / then wyll she receyue But so she answereth hym / that he perceyue May well / that she hym loueth peramoure And that she dredeth not / but dyshonoure Wherof he is well eased / and ago Frome her / and frome the chamberere also And so he walketh forthe his stacyon Then entren they in to collacyon! That is to wete / the maystresse and her mayde Remembrynge well / suche wordes as were sayd And shortely / so conclude vpon theyr dede How that theyr werke / they may perfourme & spede And then the chamberere sayth secretely Madame I knowe well / he hath grete enuy To speke to me but I wyll to hym say That ye nothynge for hym / by ony way Wyll do / and therfore wrothe I wyll me make For pure pyte / the whiche I on hym take And I shall to hym say / our syre is out So he at nyght may come withouten doute Into your chambre secretely I trowe I shall hym let / as though ye dyde not knowe And I shall shewe as I were wrothe / wherfore He shall you pray / well better and the more And syth he afterwarde / shall lenger tary

The same thynge I wyll do brynge and cary Whiche he wolde gyue you / for I knowe that he Tomorowe wyll delyuer it to me And I to hym shall say / so god me saue That ye it neyther / wyll receyue ne haue And whan it happeth shall / that after soone The proces and the actes be well doone Wherfore the goune / he gyueth you in rewarde The whiche afore he put in to my warde Then ye therfore / shall chyde me fast and blame Afore hym / saynge / damoysell fye for shame Wherfore dyde ye / this thynge with you retayne Why wolde not ye delyuer it agayne But how someuer it come to passe / knowe ye That I shall put all thynge in certaynte For some there be that haue ryght many a wyle Wherby innumerable they begyle Of women good / and neuer can be styll Now Iane / frome this daye forwarde do your wyll Forthe gooth this galaunt than / and so dooth mete The chamberere / somdele without the strete And asketh her / what newes the hath brought Of her maystresse / by god sayth she ryght nought I haue her founde / so daungerous and straunge That sore I drede shame wyll make her to chaunge But for because I medled haue so ferre Thynkynge no tyme is / lenger to deferre This mater / I shall say you what is best That ye may do / to brynge your mynde in rest Thyder shall ye go this nyght to werke and spede your maters / and yet haue I so grete drede That she wyll to her husande me accuse Or to her frendes / but I thynke and muse

That yf she wyll receyue / suche thynges as ye To her wolde gyue / your dede soone spedde shall be And yet by god / I shall proue and assay To cause her take it shortely yf I may For well it is / at poynt to brynge aboute The mater / for her husbande ryden out Is now / and hath denyed her vtterly A goune / wherof she hath so grete enuy That it is meruayle / and this galaunt tho Twenty scutes / or thyrty / elles mo Delyuereth vnto her / and Iane sayth than By god ye be an honourable man But well ye se / how I aduyse me And yet I drede that troubled shall I be For neuer dyde I thus / for man or now As I for you haue done / I make auowe And wyll ye knowe / how grete daungere that I Haue put me in / and I shall tell you why For yf so be / that knowen were one worde That ony thynge I sholde do by our lorde Herin / I sholde haue euer suche a blame That neuer after / myght I loke for shame But for bycause I truste you perfytely I shall me put / in this grete Ieoperdy Knowynge that she / you loueth well at all And that our syre is out / wherfore ye shall This same nyght / come fayre and honestly Unto her chambre / and I secretely Wyll let you in / for neyther harre ne locke Shall cause you eyther / for to call or knocke And thus at .xii. houres within the nyght ye must walke in the derke withouten lyght For that tyme sadly / dooth she slepe alway

And there is but a lytell chylde in say To her in bedde than shall ye go and lye For I can se / none other remedy And peraduenture your dede shall be good Now whan a man / all naked is by the rode In bedde with her / that naked is and bare A full grete thynge it is and she vnware And whan she seeth none other choys ne rede As styll she lyeth then / as she were dede So sore she dredeth shame and vylany That in the derke she may not se to crye For though she answere straungely on the day At suche a sodayne countre she ne may O Iane my loue / this gentyll galaunt sayth I neuer shall haue peny by my fayth But ye therof that one halfe and well more Shall haue alway / so wele ye do therfore Whan nyght shall come the galaunt gothe a pace As Iane hym hath / aduysed to the pleace And she vnto her maystresse secretely Hath shewed all the processe manerly And whan this galaunt comen is and crepte Into the bedde / she letteth as she slepte This galaunt there / her shortely doth embras Then starteth she and sayth / who is there alas My loue sayth he / no more for it is I A by the sacrament of god I crye She sayth it shall not come to passe yet so And thynketh for to call / on Iane whiche tho No worde to her agayne answerde or sayd Ha now I se it wele / I am betrayed Myn auctor sayth / the fyght togyder bothe In dyuers wyse / and she is passynge wrothe

And fast she panteth / bothe for fere and yre Wheihe is as angrye / as the brennynge fyre And sore abasshed of this rekenynge ye may well knowe / it is a pyteous thynge A woman onely whan she lacketh helpe No more of strength is then a lytell whelpe But yf it had not ben for drede of shame More hyghe she wold haue cryed in goddes name Then she dyde than but all was for the best That she to saue her honoure so dyde rest Was neuer fythyll / shalmeulx / pype ne rote That better dyde accorde in euery note Of musyk / or in gemetrye then they Whiche enterpryse / gode tyme agayne to play Thus for the husbande that tyme beynge onte Ryght well to poynt y^e werke they brynge aboute Now hath this wyfe y^e gowne that was denayed By her good man / and she is wele apayed And for bycause he nolde it to her gyue It shall cost hym full dere yf she may lyue All be it so that he in tymes afore Wele more then it was wrothe hath payed therfore And this good wyfe / all thynges to excuse And bycause no wyght her of sholde muse Her moder wyll she cause with dylygence This goune to gyue her in his presence All boubtes to auoyde that he may haue Thus honestly she can her worshyp saue And she her moder maketh to byleue That this clothe she hath bought as she can preue Of those lytell thynges whiche she solde Wherof her husbande yet she neuer tolde So he therof dothe vnderstende no dele

Or parauenture he may knowe it wele And so it happeth ofte with her and mo After this goune another cometh also That is to wyte / a newe thynge must be had For her that she / may honestly be clad Also of gyrdels harneysed two or thre Of syluer gylte / elles angry wyll she be Or other thynges / wherof her husbande than Wyll be as sore dyspleased as he can The whiche is veray melancolyous Or lyke to Naball auarycyous As I haue sayd afore / and he dothe doubte Or narowly he pryeth and loketh oute So that he wele perceyue hathe some thynge Wherin he toke no pleasure nor lykynge Or vnto hym it hathe be tolde or shewed Or her good loue / this galaunt all be shrewed By some fast frende of his this hath he knowen For at longe rennynge out it shall be blowen Then entreteth he in rage of Ialousy And putteth hym in to an agony Anone he maketh semblaunt to go oute And cometh at nyght / starynge all aboute Full sodaynly supposynge in his mynde Oute of araye some folkes to fynde The whiche is not so easely to be done Then hydeth he hym in his chambre sone And by auenture / some thynge dothe espye Wherfore he chydeth and she can wele replye She feleth that she wylye is and sage And that she comen is of good lygnage This sely man remembreth hym agayne Of his frendes how they haue spoken playne

So they in ryot and grete debate And sorowe and care / shall rest vpon his pate For Ioyes shall he neuer haue in dede Fro that tyme forth / but euer gnawe and fede On heuynesse / and euer amonge a lye Shall cast be in the vysage prately His cheuysaunce / shall lessen sodaynly Also his pore body shall be drye So shall he cesse of werkes and besynesse And neuer lyue in wele nor lustynesse Thus closed in the lepe / abyde shall he These paynes takynge for prosperyte For yf that he this lepe were not within yet neuer wolde he / tary rest ne blynne Unto the tyme that he therto myght crepe And put hym selfe in to the same more depe Thus he ne wolde that otherwyse he were Ryght so this poore man / as ye may here Shall euer languysshe in captyuyte And depe within the lepe shall barred be So wretchely his dayes shall he ende Fro suche auenture god vs all defende

¶Here endeth the fyfth Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the syxte Ioye of maryage.

[illustration]

THe syxte Ioye of maryage it is so That he whiche was wedded longe ago Endured hath the trauayles / and the payne As I afore haue sayd / all or certayne Of them / and hath a wyfe especyall Dyuers of her condycyons at all A veray subtyll falfe and wyle shrewe She is / as I here after shall you shewe Cautelous wylfull / and eke malycyous Fro warde / wanton / nyse and dysdaynous And her husbande a good man is and playne The whiche her loueth well / and she agayne Loueth hym I trowe / wherfore alway he

So as he may by possybylyte Dothe vnto her / all pleasures that he can For she of body is a good woman How be it holly her entencyon Is sette so fast and her oppynyon That euer by some crafte or subtyllyte Fayle wyll she not to haue the soueraynte And or her husbande werkes wyll she knowe wheder he of his degree be hyghe or lowe So wyll she medle ofte answere and speke yf myster be / and many maters breke Suche is of her the dysposycyon And after nature the condycyon Of all wyues / what husbandes so they haue Or at leest / the maystrye wyll they craue For tho this wyfe be wele & wante ryʒt nought yet euer wyll she set her mynde and thought To brynge her husbande / into wo and care And make hym thynke and muse / euyll fare And otherwhyles it may fortune so That he and she in chambre and no mo Be all the nyght and som what of the daye In theyr delytes Ioye dysporte and playe And they togyder kysse and make good che But he aryseth fyrst that theyr dynere May redy be / and also he must thynke Do other thynges mo then mete and drynke The hous aboute and whan tyme is to dyne He calleth her but she wyll not enclyne Unto his speche but sendeth downe anone Her lytell chylde or of her seruauntes one whiche vnto hym then shall these wordes saye Syr in good fayth she wyll not dyne to daye

wele sayth the good man / go agayne in hast And byd her come anone to this repast Then gothe the seruaunt or the chylde and sayth My mayster byddeth you come now by my fayth To dyner sone for he wyll nothynge eate Tyll ye be come and set with hym at mete Go say to hym I wyll not dyne sayth she Upon whiche answere streyght to her gothe he And sayth to her what ayleth you my dere She speketh not / wherfore he draweth nere And sayth what chere my loue and is dysmayde How be it he hath sene suche pagentes playde Afore that tyme / but for request ne worde That can be sayd she nyll go to the borde But playe ryght so / and perchaunce in no wyse wyll dyne that day for thynge he can deuyse Another tyme / vnder her arme a syde He ledeth her as thoughe she were a bryde And they to dyner go / but colde is all The vytaylles on the table grete and small For so longe hath she saused them to tarye▪ Thus often tymes wyll she do contrayre To reason / and suche countenaunce and chere with maners wyll she make at her dyner•• That no thynge wyll she ete / ne bytte For whiche so dull and mate he is of wytte And lyke a mased beest for wele the more He loueth her / and hath her dere therfore For suche melancolyes she dothe hym gyue In thought and heuynesse to cause hym lyue wherin ryght wele she dothe and cunnyngly Syth he wyll suffre it so curteysly For why a woman for to gete the grace

Of hym whome she hath bounden in her lace Hath not to do / syth that he loueth her wele With herte / body / mynde and euery dele And dooth her all the pleasures that he may Her nedeth not / with suche one for to play But she must set her thought holy to gete The loue of hym / the whiche her dooth for yete And by her setteth / none accompte ne tale She sholde assay to make suche one auale Unto her hande by chere and countenaunce By pleasaunt speche / with all the cyrcumstaunce A fayre dede / she thynketh to haue wrought Whan she her husbande / in to care hath brought It happeth other whyle this man gooth out Her werkes / and his besynes about And whan he home warde dooth retorne agayne With hym he bryngeth of his frendes twayne In to his hous / by cause he hath to do With them / or elles ryght well it may be so That they of hym haue perfyte cognysaunce Or elles they be of his acquayntaunce Whan he without is / as is sayd before His yoman or his page / he sendeth afore Unto his wyfe / and prayeth her hertely For to make redy / well and honestly The houses all about / and other thynge For suche frendes as he wolde with hym brynge Bycause to them / he gretely is beholde Also he prayeth her hastely that she wolde Ordayne vytayles to make them well at ease For what he can / he wyll do them to please And he with them percase hath for to do Now gooth this messenger his wyfe vnto

And salueth her and sayth / madame truely My mayster cometh / and in his company Two of his frendes / men of good estate For to be lodged here this nyght algate Wherfore he prayeth you ryght specyally To se the souper dyght be / and redy And she dooth answere saynge / what haue I And do with / feestes / or of his company Why cometh he not hymselfe to se it dyght I wote not sayeth the seruaunte by thys lyght But thus to say / he hath commaunded me Thon arte accursed knaue by god / sayth she This fela we than holdeth his peas anone And she in to a chambre is a gone Suche one she is / whiche dooth none otherwyse And wors is / she hath a praty guyse For all the seruauntes here and there about Bothe one and other / shortely she / sendeth out And ouer this / yf chamberere there be Or of her doughters / one / or two / or thre The whiche at home abyde / be taught how they Unto the good man of the house shall say Whan he cometh home / and now he comen is And calleth vpon a doughter fyrst of his Or elles a chamberere / and sayth is all Thynges redy made / the whiche we nede shall In fayth she sayth / my maystresse is full seke Your seruauntes and your meyny be to seke And certaynly as yet / nothynge is done Wherwith the good man waxeth angry soone How be it / bothe his frendes forth withall He bryngeth them curteysly in to the hall Or in to other places elles wh••re

As they be of estate / and fyndeth there Nothynges redy for to make them gladde It is no nede to alke / yf he be sadde For perauenture his frendes whiche he brought Perceyue ryght wele enpryntynge in theyr thought That where he sente his seruaunt or his page Afore vnto his wyfe on his massage They myght wele thynke that his commaundement Was not so sure as acte of parlayment This good man then dothe call his folkes on hye But none of them he fynde can nor espye Excepte a pore knaue or elles a mayde That nought can do / and then he in a brayde Gothe to his wyues chambre sodaynly And her to speketh hygh and hastely Wherfore haue ye not done I you demaunde As by my messagere I dyde comaunde A syr she sayth so many thynges ye Commaunde / that by the holy trynyte One shall not vnderstande ne knowe wele how What for to do / o saynt Mary now Then sayth this man / clawynge fast his hede Now of this worlde / the moost vngodely dede And euyll haue ye done and vncurteysly Se here the folkes / that I moost specyally Am bounde vnto / how may I do therto Sayth she / what wolde ye syr that I sholde do Now with your cosyns moche to do haue we It she weth wele an vnwyse man be ye Do as ye wyll after your guyse for I Care not therof a rysshe / nor yet a fly Fayre dame sayth he I you demaunde wherfore Ye haue sente out / your seruauntes here tofore

Knewe I quod she / that ye suche besynesse Had daken on hande / how be it neuerthelesse She sente them for the / in dyspyte wyttyngly Of this good man / afore all by and by Then he the whiche wyll suffre and obeye Unto her faute / dothe no mo wordes saye But fro her gothe with care and heuy chere For parauenture suche his gestes were That he had leuer / an hondreth scutes and more Haue spente but she / nothynge dothe care therfore She hath hym sene and knoweth he wyll not byte And that afore he was not wonte to smyte Shortly to speke he torneth hym aboute And of his folkes gadreth in a route Suche as he fyndeth and dothe the best he can To welles of werke he demaundeth than Fayre / fyne / whyte and other naperye ware Of dyapre and byddeth that they none spare And table clothes or they to souper go But of the good wyfe / he is answerde so To waylles she sayth ryght good & fyne there be And for moche better men / in theyr degre Then be these folkes / and of as good a place They gete none other as euer haue I grace These other clothes in vessels ben to stepe As wasshynge tubbes / layed in the water depe How be it for the to waylles I say not this For erly haue I lost the kayes y wys Of the dores / se how the chamberere Dothe seke them besyly bothe here and there And of the bedde she torneth to and fro The strawe / also the good wyfe thus sayth tho I wote not what I haue done of late so bad

My wytte and eke my heed is made so madde With besynes / and mased is my brayne That where for to renne / I ne wote certayne Truely sayth he / I am begyled wele▪ The coffres shall I breke now euery dele A fayre thynge do ye than / the good wyfe sayth And I shall tary with you by my fayth I wolde ye had them all in pyeces broken So that they neuer sholde be shytte ne loken Suche thynge somtyme a man may do in haste That after warde he shall repent the waste Than how to do / he knoweth not what is best But for all this / he is in peas and rest Supposynge that she she weth hym the trouthe And forth with all / without ony slouthe Unto the table go they for to suppe Of fresshe pypes / then to fyll the cuppe Grete nede it were for wyne wherof they spende Gooth lowe / and draweth fast vnto an ende And it as now / is neyther good ne able Well for to serue these gentylmen at table And though that he byd one for to go He geteth none / bycause she wyll not so And as for these fruyte or other thynge At his commaundement / or elles byddynge None can be had / for yf he wyll them haue Unto his neyghboure he must sende his knaue Afore the table his page and theyrs stande And them amonge they compte and vnderstande Seynge the wyues cursed loke and chere They say bycause our maysters comen ben here The wyfe is wrothe but after souper then Tyme dooth approche y^t these good gentylmen

Shall go to bedde / and this man dothe entrete His wyfe for shetes whyte / but he can gete None good ne fyne / bycause erly that day Afore the good wyfe lost hath euery kay Hedshetes wolde he haue / and pylowes whyte And she them kepeth frome his ghestes quyte In comen shetes so all that nyght they ly But erly in the mornynge hastely These frendes aryse / and hom warde them auaunce Whiche haue wele knowen the wyues countenaūce Theyr pages by the waye haue comynynge Wherof the mannes page made rekenynge To them afore and laughen by the way Nothynge content the whiche togyder say They wyll not theder come agayne of longe Suche comenynge these pages haue amonge Better had ben this good man to haue lost Moche of his good then to haue ben theyr host And so to brynge them theder to his shame Wherof the wyfe all holly was to blame The same moro we / I meruayle moche sayth he Unto his wyfe / o benedycyte Of your maners / for why I knowe not how I shall demeane or gouerne me with yow Ane maria / with me is moche to do She sayth. I nourysshe chekyns duckes pygges also And euermore I laboure and I spynne And do all that I may some thynge to wynne yet can I not one houre haue on the day Ofrest ne ease / and ye trauayle alway Aboute nothynge / but euer wast and spende And of our goodes destroye and make an ende Upon suche men with whiche I nothynge haue

To do / thus ye wyll neyther gete ne saue With them sayth he / yes these good men be they That bothe vs helpe / anoye or hyndre may Then sadly he remembreth in his mynde How that his wyfe so gentyll is and kynde That whan a galaunt cometh he dothe thynke Anone she wyll cause hym to ete and drynke And vpon hym no good thynge shall be spared Wherfore to her hath sayd and declared That he wyll not this galaunt come more there And ther vppon he byddeth her forbere To drawe hym to her hous / for he nothynge There hath to do / and she sayth I shall brynge Hym whan me Iust and cause him to comeynne Wher w^t gret noyse bytwene them doth begȳne The good man angrye then these wordes sayth Wherin he sheweth wele the fole he playeth Now by the sacrament of god yf I After this tyme can fynde or elles espye He w^t you speke / I shall make you more wrothe Then euer ye were / all be you leue or lothe Now by my fayth she sayth nothynge I recke All thoughe he were hye hanged by the necke But now I se ryght wele / it is full sothe A good woman the whiche no synnes dothe Shall haue asmoche reproue / & more dyffaine Then she y^e whiche dothe wyckednes attayne She sayth yf that I suche a woman were Whiche dyde her gouerne euyll in manere I had no nede then for to be dysmayde For moche better she had done she sayde Then I now do / and thus he and the wyue Togyder make a noyse / and so they stryue

This in auenture / by the malyce grete Of hym or her / in suche a fume and hete They fall / that they wyll not togyder ly Of longe tymes in this melancoly And that it is / that she desyreth sores For this squyer / of whome he spake afore Shall perauenture come within the nyght In at the backe dore out of his syght Or elles clyme in at a wyndowe hye And to the wyues bed go secretely Not for to synne / ne do her hurte ne harme But in her good mannes stede to kepe her warme For other bodye she was good and trewe As it is sayd afore / or elles of newe Myn auctor baryeth somwhat in his tale And taketh a knkko for the nyghtyngale After all this the thynge is well appeased And for bycause the good wyfe shall be pleased This good man dothe begynne her for to flatre And she can suffre hym to speke and clatre For euer wolde a woman flatred be And lyghtly / troweth it in certaynte yf it in praysynge be of her godenesse Of beaute bounte / or of / gentylnesse Thus passeth he the tyme tyll at the laste His wyfe he fyndeth somtyme spekynge faste Unto this forsayd squyre in his place Or in the chyrche / or elles where as she was At suche a feest and in to Ialousye He entreth in his mynde / more feruentlye Then euer a dayes afore he dyde By meane wherof so now it is betyde Of worldly Ioye he dothe hymselfe defayte

And entreth in to the thought and awayte He lyeth and requereth subtylly Her to espye or take with some foly Wherin he playeth the very fole alwaye Bycause the noble herte of man ne maye Ne ought of womens werkes to enquere For yfhe sholde / the faute knowe and here Ones of his wyfe / he myght fall in suche plyte That medecyne neuer sholde hym hele ne quyte And then his shame / he sercheth in his mynde Enquerynge fast and he the same doth fynde Good reason is that he endure therby The shame whiche he afore sought besyly As in this case I counte hym cast away And lost / for on his body and goodes alway Grete peryll renneth & aege cometh hym vpon So is he folysshe lyke a beestly man In euery thynge by reason of the play And he within the lepe I dare well say Yclosed is / in sorowe and heuynesse Whiche he doth take / for Ioye and gladnesse Seynge that he / ne wolde but it were so Thus shall he dwell in paynes euermo And so shall ende his dayes wretchydly Syth he wyll fynde / none other remedy

¶Here endeth the .vi. Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the .vii. Ioye of maryage

THe .vii. Ioye of maryage to knowe Is as I fynde it wryten on the rowe Whan that somtyme / the man whiche maryed is Hathe founde a wyfe / as I haue sayd or this Whiche is a felowe good / at euery season And neuer wyll refuse nor forsake reason Whan it is profered her / but knowe ye may Thoughe she be good / as ye haue herde me say And of her body chast or other wyse Yet euer hathe she suche maner guyse The whiche a rule is named generall In maryage and vsed ouer all For euery wyfe byleueth verayly And holdeth this oppynyon sted fastly That her husbande the weykest creature And moost wretche is & leest werke may endure. As in regarde / vnto the secrete crafte Of all other whiche in the worlde be lafte And so it happeth ofte / and hathe bensene That whan a yonge lusty man and grene Dothe marye hym vnto a good true mayde And they theyr pleasures take and be apayde In suche a wyse that maruayle is to here And take all that he may within a yere Of theyr dysporte / or elles in two or thre Or mo in dyuers wyse so may it be Wherby theyr youthe is greatly waxen colde But yet the good wyfe by an hundreth folde Her wasteth not so moche / as dothe the man In no maner for she so wysely can Her body kepe / fro besynesse and payne With laboure wyll she not herselfe constrayne Nor yet with pensyfnesse to saye the sothe

With care ne sorowe / so as the good man dothe And though they dyde but play / and make solace Yet wolde she not waste in so shorte a space As her good man dothe in this secrete plays Wher with then he / she bettre may awaye But trouthe it is / whan women chyldrebere And they be grete / lyuynge in drede and fere Whan they drawe nere theyr tyme of chyldes byrthe They suffrs peynes grete withouten myrthe Myn auctor sayth that it is to accounte To mannes peyne / the whiche all dothe surmounte He sayth the husbande peynes be wele more The whiche must thynke / and care all thynges fore Aboute his housholde / as he hathe to do He suffreth anger trouble peyne and wo But of the sorowe / and the anguysshe grete Of chyldes byrthe / all dothe he clene forgete How be it many wordes dooth he speke Whiche in his brest he myght well shyt and steke For I wyll not those wordes put in ryme But holde my tongue / and speke whan it is tyme He sayth these husbandes bely be to gete But wyues do no good / but drynke and ete And after this it falleth saunce fayle That for suche thoughtes / labours and trauayle The husbande gretely wasted is and spent Wherfore his mynde he setteth and entent Some elles where / applyenge not the game More then of custome / for to please our dame And also yfhe wolde the fayte assay For lacke of power / perchaunce he ne may Perfourme his appetyte / desyre and wyll Wherfore as in that cace / he holdeth hym styll

But this good wyfe / yet leueth not the crafte Her luste / ne courage be not her byrafte As hotte she is as euer she was before And so it is that he may do no more Thenne for be cause / her lyueree / and her fee Of her delytes dayly mynysshed be Whiche she was wont to haue of her good mon In noyse ryot bothe they falle anone Lyke as her leuere / mynyssheth lyte and lyte They so begynne to gren as they wolde byte And though this lyuere / wyll her not suffyce Yet euyll dothe she not / for she is wyse But she ne leueth of deme / that he In power is / moche wors thenne other be And she the more belueth it by reason Because afore she neuer in her season Non other man / but hym onely assayed Of whome she neyther was content ne payed And he to her was in suffycyente Without her lyuere ofte she came and wente And yet by reason / and the ordynaunce Of holy chirche / it is a suffysaunce One man vnto one woman to be knyt But other whyle / the wyfe wyll Ieoparde it For to assaye of other / two or thre Yf they so symple as her husbande be And thenne she whiche / y^e crafte so dare assaye Parauenture beleueth it alwaye More certaynly thenne she hathe done afore And suche a fela we taketh she therfore That of the crafte / y^e whiche she dothe begynne But yf it be for drede / she may not blynne Or elles / with plente / she be satysfyed

She wyll not be content / ne pacyfyed For whan this felawe cometh happyly He is enfamyned wherfore meruaylously Dothe he / and she her husbande thynketh on Reputynge hym / a veray semple mon And of ryght lytell power she byleueth The better for so surely she it preueth For suche thynges as somtyme cometh by stelthe Is better for a sykely wyues helthe Then suche as she at home hathe but a lyte Hauynge therto no lust nor appetyte And thus she is in fast byleue and sure Experyence alwaye dothe her assure And sometyme so fortuneth it that she Another gossyp / whiche hathe maryed be And knoweth reason / whan it is to her shewed Good in her maners beynge and wele thewed The whiche byleueth eke that her husbande As dothe that other / for she can vnderstande And parauenture she hathe taken assaye Of other mo as ye haue herde me saye Wherof wele gretter is the werke and dede Then of the good man hauynge lytell mede Whiche gyueth not hym selfe to so grete payne For why he knoweth wele / that for certayne Nyghe hym alwaye good plente shall he fynde But knoweye wele / that many meu by kynde Use contrary to this that women do For surely they byleuen euermo What maner women so they haue and wedde They be moost wyse / and best for them in bedde Of all other / but this rule other whyle Do fayle / and that is by deceyte and gyie

Amonge rybauldes lyuynge in despeyre To whome no wytte ne reason dothe repayre Ofte it is sene / that maryed men wyll prayse The maners of theyr wyues and vpreyse And euery verture whiche they in them fynde They shewe supposynge / surely in theyr mynde That better women / be there none then they Ne lyke to them none can be founde they saye In goodnesse ferre all other they excede Suche appetyte to them haue they at nede Thus dothe myn auctor speke of wedded men And forth withall thus he declereth then Saynge / that gladly ofte it hathe ben sene That whan a woman / hathe a wydowe bene Then shortely to another wyll she marye And other whyles she nyll abyde ne tarye A moneth but she wyll her wedde agayne For to assaye and proue in certayne yf that another of his power be So symple in his werkes as was he The whiche out of this worlde of late is past And thus in wedlocke she is bounden fast Wherin she kepeth neyther trouthe ne fayth But wasteth folyly myn auctor sayth Loseth and gyueth moche goodes a waye For whiche her husbande many a wery daye Hath had in loboure / or y^t they haue ben goten After his degree / but all hathe she forgoten By many maner wayes dothe she spende As well vpon her lemman / or her frende As olde baudes / and on her confessour A frere prechour / or elles a lymatour Whiche yerely hathe of her alpensyon

For she of hym hathe absolucyon Suche folkes haue grete power of the pope For to absoyle / enserche / and for to grope The conscyence of wydowes and of wyues And them to teche how they shall lede theyr ly∣ues This man her husbande on y^t other syde As warely / as he can dothe hym gyde Withouten grete expence or elles coste And casteth accompte / what he hath wonne or loste Of marchaundyses / after suche degree As he is of / and shortly fyndeth he That in his godes he gothe faste abakke And knoweth well ynough there is grete lakke Thenne he ta syghe / and sorowe dothe begynne And whan that he / his compter is withynne Unto his wyfe / the whiche he loueth more Thenne that he dothe hym selfe he speketh therfore And thus he sayth myn owne loue verayment I knowe not how our goodes be waste or spent Or where they be become I can not telle Golde or syluer wherwith / we bye and selle Wyne corne / and other marchaundyse And yet alwaye I take hede and aduyse The beest wyse that I can loke or espye And haue to euery thynge / as good an eye As is possyble vnto me to haue Oure goodes for to gouerne rule and saue So that one gowne / that good is for my corce I dare not haue / A syr she sayth no force And whan that he is / in a secrete place Unto his wyfe he speketh / this percase Truely / but late it hathe be shewed to me Some wordes whiche dyspleasaunt to me be

By god my loue ryght so it dooth appere For of longe tyme ye haue made euyll chere She sayth / I haue ben sore affrayed and dradde That ye some hurte or heuynesse haue hadde Or that some of your frendes had ben past To god / or had ben kepte in pryson fast With englysshe men / ytake at some affray Nay nothynge so / but moche wors than ye do say It is / Aue maria sayth she than If it please you / tell me good gentylman What thynge it is / fayne wolde I that I knewe Certes sayth he / my faythfull frende and true Hath shewed me / that suche one maynteneth yow And other thynges he hath sayd ynow Then she begynneth for to crosse and blis And many meruayles maketh she of this Demurely she begynneth for to smyle My loue she sayth / meke no wors chere a whyle Of all my synnes / as quyte I wolde I were And eke towarde almyghty god as clere As I of hym am / and she ther withall Her handes lyfteth / and letteth them fall Upon her heed / and sayth myn owne herte dere By this all onely wyll I not now swere But to the deuyll gyue I all at ones Under my handes / all be it flesshe and bones If euer mannes mouthe yet touched myne Except your mouthe / your kynnesmen and cosyne And neuer but at your commaundement The whiche ye knowe was but in good entent Fy / fy sayth the / what maner is it I am ryght gladde that ye dome to wit I doubted it had ben some other thynge

But now I knowe from whens cometh this lesynge And all these wordes vnto you shewed ofnewe But for what cause wolde god that ye knewe He hathe it sayd to you for by my fayth Ryght sore abassed wolde ye be she sayth For so moche as he maketh hym your good frende But I ryght well am eased in my mynde For he awaked hathe / the slepynge catte My loue sayth he now tell me what is that Syr care ye not therof she sayth but lyte An other tyme I shall do you to wyte Truely sayth he I wyll knowe it anone By god my loue ye be an hastly mon She sayth I was ryght wrothe be cause that ye Made hym to come so ofte for to be Within youre hous / but I forbere to saye Be cause that ye loued hym so well alwaye Tell me sayth he / certes my loue as now She sayth no nede it is to tell it you I praye you she it me so as it is He sayth. And the thenne swetely dothe hym kysse And clyp saynge my dere loue and myn lorde Ha that falle traytour whiche make wolde dyscorde Byt wexte vst weyne / and do you euyll or gryfe God gyue hym veray vengeaunce and myschyefe Tell me my loue sayth he / what maner wyght He is that thus wolde do / and what he hyght Now in good fayth my lorde whome I loue beste Aboue all thynges that in this worlde do reste That false traytour and that sclaunderour Hathe prayed me to be his paramoure The whiche ye trust and louen so entyer This hathe he ben aboute more thenne two yere But I alwayes haue hym full well refused

With grete payne / and maners that I vsed And whan he came in to your hous ye thought It for your your loue had ben / but it was nought For with his false flatterynge wordes gay He came for no cause / but you to betray Ne neuer ceased he tyll tyme that I Say hd tat I wolde tell you it certaynly Nothynge her of to me was charge ne cure For of my selfe alway was I so sure And though I suche vnthryfty maners hate yet wolde I not make noyse wrathe ne debate Bet wene you thus and hym / me thought no nede It was / bycause I kepte hym from the dede Alas there was no faute in hym truely For to haue done you shame and velony A saynt Mary sayth the good man tho He is a traytoure that I trusted so For neuer had I of hym ony doute By god she sayth / yf he come in and oute And that I knowe that he dooth with you speke Or dele then vp / our housholde may we breke For after that I shall none with you holde If ye so do / for syluer ne for golde She sayth / in fayth ye nede not me to garde I am suffycyent my selfe to warde If it please god / I wyll not now begyn Agaynst his lawes to do / or vse a synne With handes Ioyned / to god almyght I pray That fyre frome heuen aboue descende may And brenne my body all to nought and spyl Well rather than I sholde be in suche wyll Then the clepeth hym in her armes twaye And sayth my lorde / herken what I saye

Ouer false I were / yf I sholde euyll do To you that be so fayre and good therto For what I wyll / my loue ye wyll the same But yf I loued you well I were to blame I wyll that ye so god me saue and mende Your hous frome hym forbede wolde and defende With whome your frende / me falsely hath accused And you deceyued thus / and sore abused Now be it frely do I gyue or sell My soule vnto the foulest fende of hell If euer he to me spake lesse or more But not withstandynge yet by cryst therfore I wyll not that he come in place where I Shall happen for to be in company Than she to wepe began ryght tenderly And this good man appeased her spedely Promysynge her with othes grete that he Wolde kepe and holde all thynges whiche that she Afore had sayd / excepte he nolde defende This felawe frome his house / and there an ende All be it in his herte with some remors He shall be charged sore / but yet no force For so it happeth in conclusyon That suche dyspleasure and deuysyon Bet wene hym and his frende herof dooth fall That he the gretest ennemy of all To hym shall be / the whiche for loue hym tolde Hath all the trouthe / whome he beleuene wolde So this good man a veray beest is made Suche Ioyes of the husholde he hath had And in the lepe he is yclosed depe Out of the whiche he shall not lyghtly crepe And this good wyfe moche better in her guyse

Shall do / then euer she dyde or coude deuyse And neuer man of her shall tell hym thynge For he wyll not beleue suche rekenynge And he the whiche this velony hath done The best beloued frende shall be then sone That he shall haue / and thus aege hym vpon Shortely dooth fall / and pouerte anone Wher with perchaunce so sore he may be greued That neuer after shall he be releued Suche is the pleasure / whiche this man hath founde Within the lepe / and yet folkes on the grounde Wyll speke to hym after theyr fantasy One sayth of hym / thus as he passeth by He is good Iohan / an other maketh a she we With his fynger / an other vnthryfty shrewe Sayth that it is grete domage for to se This sely man in suche perplexyte Another sayth / no force of hym in fay It is nothynge but good ryght of the play So lyueth he / with payne in pacyence And all these sore wes dooth hym none offence The whiche for Ioyes alwaye taketh he Bycause he wyll that it none other be So shall he euermore dwell in dystres And ende his dayes in payne and wretchednes

¶ Here endeth the seuenth Ioye of maryage.

¶ Here begynneth the eyght Ioye of maryage.

[illustration]

UNto the .viii. Ioye syth I must go Of maryage / knowe ye that it is so As whan a man suche meane hath founde & skyft Thus he vn ware in to the lepe is left Wherin he hath had grete felycyte Takynge his pleasures / yeres two or thre And hath so besy ben to repe and sowe That well the hote heruest is ouer blowe Then other mennes werke wyll he assay No man at base ne barres may sporte alway And peraduenture he hath had greuaunce ynough of trouble / and of dyspleasaunce Wherof enfebled gretely than is he

So that regarde taketh he none to fle Perchaunce his wyfe / hath chyldren thre or mo And grete with chylde agayne she gooth also But she more seke is or this chylde be borne Than she of all these other was beforne Wherfore the good man is in thought and drede To gete her suche thynge as she must haue nede But this good man / dooth his auowes make To dyuers holy sayntes for her sake And also she auoweth in that houre Unto our blessyd lady of Rochemadoure So happeth it / as god wyll after this And saynt Mary that she delyuered is Of suche a fayre chylde and goodly thynge As myght be well the sone vnto a kynge She lyeth longe in bed / now in this wyse The gossyppes to her come / as is the guyse And maketh arete / andtt mery syynge vp Where besely gooth rounde about the cup And so it falleth she hath two or thre Gossyppes / the whiche abyde with her / and be Within the house to rule merely With her / and gossyp in her company And so shall peraduenture be that they May talke of tryftles / whiche I wyll not say And more goodes spende they in suche wyse Then for to fynde the housholde wolde suffyse The newe tyme approcheth her / and she Is puryfyed with solempnyte Unto the feldes then / to roue and playe She and her gossyppes take the ryde waye Where as they speke to go on pylgrymage And fast they entrepryse for theyr vyage

For what thynge so the husbande hath to do They care nothynge / ne haue regarde therto Then this good wyfe of whome we speke of now Sayth to her gossyppes I wote neuer how I may haue lycence to performe this dede And they her answere saynge haue no drede Good gentyll gossyp / for we haue no doubte But ye shall brynge your purpose well aboute And we shall go and vs dysporte togyder Whan god well sende tyme and merye weder Now haue they entreprysed as I saye This forlayd vyage and departe awaye One frome an other a myle two or more And thenne this wyfe of whome we spake afore Cometh to her hous. And whan she draweth nere Unto her housbande she maketh euyll chere And he is lately comen frome the towne Or elles frome other werkes and setteth downe And her demaundeth how it with her is Ha syr sayth she I am ryght wrothe y wys Our lytell chylde is euyll at ease and seke Wherof the good man is as angrye eke And sorowfull and cometh it to see Whan he it seeth / the teres falle in his eye For pure pytye / and thenne cometh nyght vpon And whan they be in secrete place allone The wyfe begynneth for to sygh and saye Truely my loue ye me forgete alwaye And how sayth he thynke ye not on sayth she Whan that I was in grete infyrmyte Of our yonge chylde / and that I made auowe Unto our lady of rochemadoure / and nowe Therof it semeth ye take lytell hede

O god he sayth / my loue ye knowe what nede Ther is / and how moche that I haue to do Good syr she sayth. I put case it be so yet neuer shall I be at ease ne gladde By god tyll I this pylgrymage haue made And by my fayth because we do not seke These sayntes therfore is oure chylde so seke My loue sayth he god knoweth well your good wyll And myn also. Ha syr she sayth be styll For certaynly yf it please god and you I wyll accordynge vnto myn auowe Go with my cosyns and my gossyppes als Unto our lady I wyll not be fals Then this good man the mater myndeth sore And peraduenture hath not all in store That to this vyage sholde be requysyte Accordynge to his wyfes appetyte Now is he brought to suche encombraunce That nedely must he must he make a cheuysaunce Of horses / and perchaunce for them shall paye A certayne hyre to trauayle by the waye After suche porte / estate or elles degre As he is / and it behoueth that she A newe gowne haue to ryde in honestly And peraduenture in that company A gentyll galaunt is / the whiche shall do With ryght good wyll some seruyce her vnto Also this good man percase with her gothe On pylgrymage all be he neuer so wrothe yf he so do / moche better were that tyde For hym at home to tary or abyde Alway so sore she wyll hym chyde or chekke That he shall bere the stones vpon his nekke

And neuer can she be content ne fayne But whan that he hath hurte myschefe or payne Now in that Iourney / as she sytteth softe Upon the horse / she her complayneth ofte Anone she sayth / one styrope is to longe Another is to shorte and lacketh a thonge Also she sayth / her horse dooth trotte to sore And eke to harde / and she is seke therfore Then frome her horse she must alyght anone And she agayne shall sette be hym vpon This good man then / for he shall not be ydle Ouer suche a brydge / must lede her by the brydle Or elles a peryllous path / or a narowe way And whan they come be frome this Iourney If he therby haue had wele or dysporte That it of her longe / she wyll reporte And yf that ony losse / or euyll fall She chydeth and sayth / on hym it is longe all So thus and other wyse his goodes wafte His housholde eke / and his expence in haste Then mynysshed be / and she sayth hym beforne How by his chyldren whiche that she hath borne She gretly wasted is / and this man so yclosed is within the lepe also In sorowes grete / and paynes sharpe and sore And taketh them for Ioyes euermore In whiche alway he shall be and remayne And wretchedly his dayes ende in payne

¶ Here endeth the eyght Ioye of maryage.

¶ Here begynneth the nynth Ioye of maryage.

[illustration]

THe nynthe Ioye of maryage is when One of these yonge lusty and fresshe men Is put in to the pryson or the lepe Of husbandry and can not go ne lepe Out of the same / and grete pleasure hath hadde whiche newely hath be founde in dayes gladde And peraduenture euyll is his wyfe As many be / wherby aryseth stryfe And he a man is of good gouernaunce The whiche none euyll iuffre wyll perchaunce How be it dyuers argumentes haue bene And other whyles strokes them betwene So in suche warre / well thyrty or more They haue contynued / and ye may knowe therfore

He hath had moche to suffre and sustayne For so may be that he hath had certayne Grete parte of sorowes / and aduersytees The whiche afore be sayd / in theyr degrees And many other suche as ben conteyned Here after in this lytell boke vnfayned But neuerthelesse / he dooth remayne alway Uyctoryous / what euer she do or say And hath not ben in shame and velony Though moche to suffre he hath had therby And for to thynke vpon bycause that he perchauce hath doughters fayre / wel two or thre whiche wysely he hath maryed here and there To put them out of Ieoperdy and fere So happeth it that in a lytell space Suche fortune hath this sely man and grace That for the euyll nyghtes and the dayes And colde whiche he hath taken many wayes A cheuysaunce to make / this man dooth fall In sekenes of the goute / then forth withall Or elles for aege / he is vn weldy so That he can neyther vp aryse ne go And whan that he is set in suche a place As he shall in remayne his lyfes space In euyll maner tourned is the chaunce For than the warre is ended and dystaunce And wors it is for dyuers tymes a daye Of veray hate she wyll vnto hym saye She is ryght well assured in certayne How for his synnes / he hath all that payne And one may thynke / whan she afore hym is Thus wyll he to her say / my loue y wys ye be the thynge that I owebest to loue

Of all the worlde / excepte our lorde aboue And ye also of dutye ben ybounde To loue me moost of all that lyue on grounde But wyte ye well / my loue that it is so Some thynges be / that folkes vnto me dos wherwith I am not well contente sayth he ye knowe of ryght I am and so shall be The lorde and mayster of this house whyles I May lyue / but yet folkes do not lyke truely To me / for yf that I a poore man were whiche sholde go fetche his brede bothe ferre & nere Men wolde not do to me as is done now And ye my loue may vnderstanden how That I haue done grete payne and dylygence To make a cheuysaunce for our expence your doynges to sustayne / and your estate And all our chyldren whiche to me of late Behaue them selfe full symply as ye se Ha what wolde ye that one sholde do sayth she To you is doone the best we can or may And ye wote not what we demaunde or say Now sayth this man / holde your peas good dame And kepe your tonge in rest for worldly shame The sone also to hym dooth speke and rayle So what this good man sayth may not auayle And thus she and the sone departe hym fro His herytage emperynge euernio And for the good man / no prouysyon Is made / and thus they in conclusyon Agre and make accorde bytwene them bothe That neuer creature / whiche cometh or gothe Shall with hym speke / and then the sone anon The gouernaunce presume wyll hym vpon

And take the rule more than he dyde afore And well content his moder is therfore For she so dooth supporte hym and maytene Also they make well euery man to wene That he is fall in to a frenesy Or is retorned to his Infancy Thus vnto euery wyght sayth she and he And this good man must take it all in gre For other remedy none may be hadde Amonge them so harde he is bestadde And as to me I well beleue certayne This is one of the greatest erthely payne And sorowe / that on the grounde a man may fele Thus this good man his penaunce dooth ryght wele And so shall be in mornynge euermore Endrnge his dayes wretchedly and sore Cursynge the tyme that in the lepe he came To be enclosed / and in this wyse made tame▪

¶Here endeth the nynth Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begnneth the tenth Ioye of maryage.

[illustration]

THe tenthe Ioye of maryage to wyte Is as I fynde it in a boke y wryte Whan that he whiche in to the lepe is brought Bycause that he hath sene so as he thought Other fysshes them baynynge in the same Whiche to his demynge / had a mery game And so he trauayled hath tyll tyme he In to the lepe hath founde the ryght entre And one may say that he by subtylte Made was to come / in to that gynne and be Of maryage / lyke as a fouler olde These byrdes taketh in the wynter colde With other byrdes whiche he afore hath had

And for that feate hathe them well taught and made▪ And bereth them about vpon his backe Within his panyer or elles a sacke Whiche with a threde be teyed by the fote For to remayne there is none other bote Moche eased were these poore byrdes yf they Myght be at lyberte and fle away As other do frome a ryuer or a dyke Unto an other where they myght fede / and pyke Of euery maner vytayle / for them mete Whan other se these byrdes by the fete Yteyed fast / they haste vnto the gynne And sodaynly they be taken therin But yf it be some wyle byrdes that haue Experyence them to preserue and saue Frome suche daungere / and wysely can be ware Surely to kepe them frome the nette or snare For they in tyme afore haue herde and sene Of other byrdes whiche in that case haue bene This not withstandynge they that wydded are Of whiche we shewe the passe tyme and declare Haue them aduysed of this crafte / and they But lytell euyll thought in it alway Or elles percase without aduyse in haste In to the gynne one hath his body caste Where as in Ioyes demed he to tary Neuerthelesse / he fyndeth the contrary And other whyles it may fortune so That for suche thynges as shewed are them to By totelers or flatterers that vse To cause descorde / and falsely folke accnse The wyfe shall neuer more for erthely thynge Her husbande loue / vnto her last endynge

Then wyll she saye vnto her moder thus Or to our cosyn / by our lorde Ihesus Whan I with hym in bedde am layde adoune His flesshe it stynketh lyke a caryoune And he to her shall neuer plaesure do Ne loue / but euer lyue in malyce so And ofte it happeth / many men that he In suche estate / of hyghe and lowe degre And women bothe yet wyll they not lyue chaste But ease them selfe by other meanes in haste And whan that she a whyle hath ben away With her good loue / for to dysporte and play And largely hath her parte had of the game Then her to kepe frome velony and shame Some of her frendes good / wyll she entrete Peace with her moder shortely sor to gete The whiche by coloure / and craftely can saye That she within her house hath ben alwaye The poore doughter pryuely is gone For she so sore her dredde / that her good mon Wolde her haue bet / as he hath doone or than Wherfore vnto her moders house she ranne And he hathe wonder where that she may be But so it was that afterwardes he Within her moders house / soone dooth her fynde To whome he speketh with an hasty mynde What deuyll brought the hyder / and for why Departed thou frome home so sodaynly Syr by our lorde she sayth / for drede that ye Withouten cause / sore wolde haue stryken me Then sayth the moder / certes me were leuer That ye sone / and my doughter sholde dysse•…•… And that ye leue her here with me to kepe

Then for to bete her alway tyll she wepe For I knowe well / my doughter hath not done Defaute to you / but ye be angry sone Beholde this mater / loke theron and se If she of euyll gouernaunce had be She had be lost / but ye may se here Frome shame and mysrule for to kepe her clere Streyght vnto me she came / for she ne had None other helpe / wherof ye may be glad And she by ryght / her may repente and rewe That she to you / hath ben so kynde and trwe And it may fortune other whyles that they Demaunde to be departed bysome wey Wherfore the husbande dooth accuse the wyfe And she agayne / as sharpe as swerde or knyfe Unto the husbande quyckely dooth the same ye may be sure / her tonge shall not be lame So are they in the lepe / and wolde be out But so it may not be withouten doute It is no tyme them to repente / for why Then is none other way ne remedy Afore the lawe / faste do they plede theyr cause And by theyr aduocates she we many a clause But other whyle allegge they no cause why They sholde haue theyr entente so hastely Than sayth y^e Iuge ryght playnly in Iugement Unto them thus by good aduysement The lawe it wyll that ye togyder holde In company your lyues and housholde And here vnto the Iuge them dooth aduyse But so to do / yet be they not so wyse For why / suche goodes as they hadde afore They haue mysse vsed euyll spente and lore

And yet they be not werye but endure In theyr oppynyons stydfaste and sure So mokke and skorne them folkes ferre and nere Whiche of the mater / vnderstande or here And other whyles / causes reasonnable One dooth alledge / and thynges acceptable For whiche the Iuge departeth them a sondre All be it so that folkes vpon it wondre Thenne one of them or other folysshely Wyll vse them selfe in lyuynge vycyousely Some tyme the woman gothe fro twone to towne And in to the mennys chambres vp and downe Where she her pleasures taketh of the game And parauenture he wyll do the same Supposynge they ben at theyr lyberte Out of the lepe of maryage and free But yet be they in wors cas thenne before And thus this man hym wasteth more and more Of what astate so euer that he be And in the same maner / wasteth she For neuer after maye they wedde agayne Durynge theyr lyues by the lawes playne Of fraunce but yet in englonde other wyse They vse and haue a custome and a gyse Whiche is an other for to take and wedde Man or woman / where best they can be spedde Men thynke in fraunce / suche shamed be for euer As in that wyse contynue and perserue And namely yf they be of hyghe parentage Borne or descended / for a good lynage For parauenture a galaunt openly Within his hous shall kepe her shame fully So shall he be within the lepe adowne

In sorowe care and lementacyon Where he alwaye in paynes and dystresse Shall lyue and ende his dayes in wretchednesse

¶ Here endeth the .x. Ioye of maryage

¶ Here begynneth the .xi. Ioye of maryage

[illustration]

THe .xi. Ioye of maryage to saye Is whan a yonge lusty man and gaye A gentyll ioly galaunt wyllgo oute For his dysporte / the countrees hym aboute Into ryght many places all the yere And in especyall he wyll go where

These ladyes and the gentylwomen be After thestate condycyon or degree That he is of / and for that he is yonge And amerous / he preceth them amonge No charge hathe he of ony other thynge So that he may contynue his lyuynge In pleasures whiche by nyghtes and by dayes Ryght many profres maketh and assayes And yf it fortune so that he may fynde A lady or a gentylwoman kynde With whome he hathe some thynge to do or say His mynde and wyll applyeth he alway And dothe his best / her for to please and serue To that entente he may her grace deserue And somtyme cometh he in suche place Where as a mayde he fyndeth fayre of face And parauenture not so grete is he Of lygnage / ne of noble as is she And for that she so goodly is and fayre These supplyauntes somtyme to her repayre And them amonge one is that dothe entrete Her for to haue / and profereth gyftes grete Whome she but lyte refuseth or denyeth For euery gentylwoman her applyeth The whiche debonayre is and hathe pyte Compassyon to haue in that degree On suche as them / humbly beseche and praye In goodly wyse / they ought not to denaye yf theyr petycyon be resonnable Withouten vylonye / an〈…〉〈…〉ourable Torne we agayne to this fayre damoysell That of her maners somwhat I may tell Of her conceytes and dysposycyon

whiche by constraynt or elles oppressyone Of suche a poore felowe is forlayne And neuer shall she▪ fynde ne gete agayne That she hathe lost / for where she was a mayde So hathe this homely felowe her betrayde That she is grete w^t chylde / y^e whiche her dame Perceyueth wele / for she knoweth of the game And in that crafte she wylye is and felfe For so it fortune may / that she hathe alse Somtyme ben / in lyke condycyon The better can she fynde prouysyon And neuer shall this felowe touche her more Nor come to her as he was wonte before The wyfe this mater wyll / so rule and gyde This counseyll kepynge closse on euery syde All thynges muste be taken as they be Of reason / wysedome / and necessyte This poore damoseyll with chylde / is grete whiche of conceyuynge / hathe the tyme foryete For of herselfe knoweth she but lyte How she was brought in to suche ease & plyte And she nothynges knoweth of that arte Ne what it is she toke so lytell parte But yf it please our lorde god she shall knowe How sedes groweth after they be sowe The moder auyseth wele and seeth her hewe whiche knoweth the olde testament and newe And calleth her into a secrete place She sayth come hyder with an euyll grace Haue I not sayd to the afore this houre That thou hast lost thy worshyp and honoure To do as thou hast done thus folyly But whan a thynge is done what remedye

That thou arte grete with chylde I knowe it wele / Tell me the trouthe and drede the neuer a dele Now fayre moder I wote not as ye saye To tell you trouthe wheder it be so or naye Then sayth the moder / it semeth me alwaye whan that the morowe cometh euery daye I here the coughe / and pytously forbrake And dyuers other countenaunces make Now truely so it is she sayth madame Ha sayth her moder holde thy pease for shame Thou arte with chylde / tell it not all aboute Ne to none erthely persone breke it out And alwaye take a good respecte and hede To do as I the shall commaunde and bede Madame so shall I do in euery thynge And lowely you obeye / and your byddynge The moder then sayth to her doughter tho Hast thou not sene so often come and go Into our hous suche a yonge squyer ofte And she sayth yes madame with wordes softe Now then aduyse the wele for incertayne Tomorowe heder wyll he come agayne Then take good hede that thou make hym good chere In godly wyse and in thy best manere And whan that other gentylmen and me Thou seest togyder talke / then cast an eye On hym alwaye / and this good moder so Her doughter techeth wele how she shall do Also I the commaunde and charge yf he Of ony maner thynges speke to the Herken hym wele / and answere curteylly And swetely rule thy speche and manerly And yf he speke of loue / or thynges lyke

Thenne other whyles softely gyue a syke And thanke hym hertyly / but say y wys Thou knowest not yet / what maner thynge loue is Ne it to lerne / thou wylte not the apply Rule and demeane the well and womanly And golde or syluer yf he proffre the Thenne take it not in hast / but herken me yf he the proffre Iuell crosse or rynge Gyrdell bracelet owcheor other thynge Refuse it gracyouesely / but at the last yf he it often offre the and fast Receyue it thenne / in goodly wyse and take For loue of hym / saynge that for his sake Thou wyll it kepe / thykynge no vyllonye Shame ne deceyte / that shall ensuye therby And whan he taketh leue of the to go Thenne hym demaunde or he departe the fro yf one shall see hym hastyly agayne wherof say that / thou wolde be glad and fayne Here is this galaunt come whiche shall be cast ynto the lepe / and therin holden fast For why the dame wyll cause hym for to wedde Her doughter sone / and with her do to bedde yf that she can by ony carfte or wyle This galaunt she porposeth to be gyle For he moche hathe / of herytage and rent And is / but symple and an Innocent Now cometh he this damoysell to see In hast for ouer wele at ease is he Ryght many galaūtes bent haue theyr engyne To take this damoysell / and vndermyne The lady taketh a squyer by the hande Or elles a knyght and other sytte or stande

whiche Ioyeously togyder talke and rayle This galaunt eke draweth to the damoysayle And by the hande he dothe her take and holde Sayenge fayre damoysell good god it wolde That ye my thought wele knewe and vnderstode And how may I she sayth for any gode Knowe it / but yf ye wyll it to me saye what do ye thynke suche thynges as ye ne may Telle me / nay by my fayth I wolde that ye Knewe it so that It were not sayd by me Truely she sayth and laugheth pratyly ye telle a thynge to me / so meruaylousely whiche to be done it is as / in possyble As for to cause an horse walke in vysyble yf it had lyked you this glaunt sayth And no dyspleasyr taken in good fayth I wolde haue playnely shewed you my thought Now syr sayth she telle on and spare it nought So moche of you knowe I that by the rode ye wyll not say / ne shewe thynge / but all gode Maystresse he sayth / ye knowe ryght welle that I Am but a poore gentylman for why I wote I am vn worthy / and vnable To be youre loue / or with you compaygnable For ye be gentyll fayre and gracyouse And of all vertues full and beauteuouse And yf it pleased you to do to me Suche honour that your louer I myght be I durst maste myn avaunt that with good wylle I sholde do all the pleasyrs you vntylle That any man / by possybylyte May to his lady do in soueraynte I shall you serue / and eke your honour kepe

More thenne myn owne whether ye wake or slepe Graunt mercy syr thenne sayth this damoysell But for the loue of god speke neuer adell Of suche thynges vnto me after this For I knowe not what maner thynge loue is Ne yet I wyll not lerne it ferthermore For it is not doctryne ne the lore The whiche my moder hathe me taught alwaye Thenne sayth this squyer damoysell in fay My fayre lady of whome ye speke is good But I wolde not yet that she vnderstode Suche thynges as be sayd be twexte vs twaye A syr she sayth yf you I haue herde saye This other daye / that ye sholde maryed be Wherof I maruayle and ye come to me And speke suche ydell wordes / and thenne he Sayth damoysell Obenedycyte Now by my faythe yf that it please yowe I shall neuer other wedde I make auowe Whyle that I lyue / so that ye wyll me take As for youre seruaunt and I vndertake That with my seruyce ye shall be contente What wolde ye haue me deshonoured and shente She sayth / nay yet me leuer were to dye Sayth he / thenne for to do you vyllonye For goodes loue be styll and speke no more Herof and I shall tell you syr wherfore yf that / my / moder it perceyue or wytte I shall destroyed be I knowe wele it And parauenture the moder maketh a sygne That of her spekynge she shall cesse and fyne And thenne this galaunt gyueth her a rynge Under her hande or elles some other thynge

Saynge to her / fayre lady I you pray Take this and kepe it / for my loue alway Certes sayth she I wyll not take no Alas my loue he sayth / why saye ye so I pray you hertely / and in her hande He putteth it agayne so as they stande And she it taketh and sayth / this I receyue To haue your loue as you may well perceyue Without thought of thynge / but all honoure I take wytenesse vnto my sauyoure The lady of that house thus speketh then In curteyse wyse vnto the gentyll men To moro we must I go with goddes grace Unto a blyssed lady of suche a place On pylgrymage to suche a toune here by Truely madame they say / ryght vertuously And well ye speke / and forth withall they go To souper / and this galaunt euermo Anenst this damoysell is put or set That he to her may talke withouten let And she so well can make her personage In suche a wyse / that he halfe in a rage With loue is take of her that was so bryght And beauteuous as semed to his syght The moro we cometh this company must ryde On pylgrymage / and lenger not abyde And all men say they can not se ne fynde An horse amonge them all y^t bereth behynde Excepte this galaūtes horse there by saynt loy Wherof grete pleasure taketh he and Ioy For one the damoysell behynde his backe Dooth sette vpon his horse / and he no lacke Fyndeth therin / and she clyppeth hym fast

To holde her on the horse / that he ne cast Her doune / and god wote ther with he is eased As an hauke whiche hathe an heron seased Now draweth he nyghe the lepe withouten bote They do this foresayd vyage god it wote With perfyte mynde / and good entencyon And home retorne / as made is mencyon Where merely / they set them doune to mete With suche vytayles as they can fynde and gete And after mete the lady fayre and well Gooth to her chambre / and this damoysell To whome she sayth / whan thou spekest w^t this man Say vnto hym as sadly as thou can That there is one / whiche spoken hath to the Of maryage but thou ne wylte accorded be As yet / and yf he offre the to take Thanke hym / and say that he must meanes make To me / and put the mater to my wyll And that I do therin thou shalte fulfyll On my behalfe / and say that there is none Lyuynge in this worlde I excepte not one That thou louest halfe so wele in certaynte As hym / so as may stande with honeste And all they after walketh twayne and twayne Togyder arme in arme to the gardeyne Where as amonge the herbes / and the floures They smell and taste the holsom swete odoures And playenge take the floures by the stalke Whiche to theyr nose they put so as they walke One taketh a gelofer or vyolere An other plucketh of the englentere And euery one of them as they espye Take herbe or floure after theyr fantasye

This galaunt squyre with the doughter gothe And telleth her euery thynge / but she is wrothe Alas she sayth / speke no more so for I Shall yf ye do / forsake your company What wolde ye do me semeth ye suppose To cause me / myn honoure for to lose Haue ye not herde of late dayes ysayde That one to mary me hath spoke and prayde Now by my soule he sayth I can not blame Hym / though to mary you / he wolde attame But I thynke that of myn habylyte I am as good in value as is he And eke as able / seruyce you to do As is the man of whome that ye speke so Now by my fayth she sayth than with a syke I wolde that he were to your persone lyke Graunt mercy fayre damoysell he sayth For of your grete curteysy in fayth Well more than I am worthy / ye me prayse But ye myn honoure gretely may vp rayse yf ye wolde take me as your man to grace To do you seruyce all my lyues space And she sayth syr graunt mercy ther withall This must be spoken in especyall Unto my fader sadly and my moder And to my kynne / and frendes dyuers oder Than sayth he thus / yf I myght knowe y^t they Sholde be content / I wold bothe speke & prey A syr she sayth / be ware that ye ne saye That ye to me haue spoken by ony way For rather wolde I suffre dethe / than ye Sholde ony wordes she we of preuyte That hathe be sayd in ony maner wyse

Byt wene vst wayne / nay that is not my guyse Sayth he / whiche to the moder speketh soone And as god wolde in suche poynte was the moone whan he vnto the moder made request That he all his desyre had at the leest For she and other haue them trouthes plyght And peraduenture caused them at nyght To gyder / for to lye in bedde and slepe Now is this poore squyre plonged depe within the lepe / and spedely they make The weddynge / for this gentyl womans sake And hastely they do this mater spede Bycause her frendes haue grete doute and drede Leste ony let may come in this matere For in the wynde the weder was clere The nyght is come after they be wedde This damoysell with man must go to bedde And knoweye wele / the olde wyle dame wyll teche her doughter / som what of the game How she ryght may denly shall her demeane As though she were an holy vyrgyn cleane Myn auctour sayth her moder dooth her teche That whan her husbande wyll vnto her reche She shall for drede tremble / quake and crye And hym withstande / and how that she shall lye In many maner wyse as sholde a mayde Upon the nyght whan she fyrst is assayde Also the moder dooth her well enfourme How she shall her demeane / and in what fourme whan that this galaunt her wolde enforce or stryke Also sodaynly than shall she sterte and syke As though she wrre cast in colde water depe Up to the brestes / also she shall wepe

But in conclusyon as to the dede She playneth metely wele whan she must nede And yet the fader and the moder bothe For loue and pyte angry be and wrothe whiche that they haue vpon theyr doughter yonge Supposynge that this man hath doone her wronge And causes them in presence to be brought Now hath this squyre founde that he hath sought Here may ye se one of the gretest payne For she whiche with aladde hath ben forlayne Or monethes thre may passe and come aboute Shall haue a baby lapped in a cloute Oftymes a go then Ioyes and pleasaunce To heuynes be tourned and penaunce And peraduenture he shall her after bete And manace curse and chyde with wordes grete And neuer after shall good housholde kepe So in the lepe he put is for to stepe And out therof he neuer shall departe Of soro we and heuynes he shall haue parte And euer more abyde shall in dystres Endynge his dayes in care and wretchednes

¶Here endeth the enleueth Ioye of maryage.

¶Here begynneth the twelfth Ioye of maryage.

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THe twelfth Ioye of maryage for to say Is whan ayonge man by many a day In suche a maner comen hath and gone That he in to the lepe hath founde anone The streyght entre / and also ferthermore He hath her founde whome he demaunded fore And he some other myght percas haue had But for no thynge he wolde / and he is glad Of this / for as hym semeth he hath sete His loue so wele / that no man coude do bete And that he was so happy her to fynde whiche so good is / and mete vnto his mynde And peraduenture suche a man is he

As by her councell wyll well ruled be So that whan ony wyght hath for to do with hym / he sayth I shall go speke vnto The good wyfe of our house / and yf she wyll It shall be doone / and yf so be she nyll In no wyse shall the mater take effecte As pleaseth her she wyll graunt or reiecte And here it cometh to the poynte anone I put the case he be a gentylmon And that his prynce an army do prepare with whiche he is commaunded for to fare Then yf the wyfe it wyll for the shall he go And yf she do replye / he shall not so Unto the wyfe / thus may he say perchaunce My loue I must me spedely auaunce Streyght to the kynges army well arayed And she shall say syr / be ye not afrayed what wyll ye go and cause you to be slayne How sholde we do yfye come not agayne ye thynke but lyte what shall become of me And in good poynt / than sholde your chyldren be But shortely for to speke / yf it her please He shall go forthe / and somtyme for her ease Ofhym the hous she can delyuer clene whan that her lyketh best / here what I mene For whyder it pleaseth her hym out to sende He shall go quyckely forthe / and there an ende Unto suche sayntes as she auo we hath made whiche to perfourme for her he wyll be glade And whyder y^t it be wynde / snowe hayle or rayne Upon her byddynge shall he go certayne And so may be a galaunt herynge this The whiche her lemman or her louer is

And knoweth the entres of the house about Well vnderstandynge that this man is out Desyrynge with her for to speke and talke Withouten taryenge wyll to her walke For lenger in no wyse may he abyde But on the nyght / whan come is the tyde In to her house he entreth secretely And where as the good man was wonte toly This homely galaunt boldely lyeth hym doune Whiche hath god wote a grete deuocyon For to accomplysshe his desyres and wyll And this good wyfe her kepeth close and styll The whiche dysdeyneth for to crye or call Ryght well in paeyence she taketh all For whan some woman seeth a man dooth take Grete payne and labour onely for her sake Of pyte neuer wyll she hym refuse And though that she sholde deye he shall her vse She hath a bowe that by her standeth bent And he artyllery that must be spent It happeth ofte he in the house abydeth And in a corner preuyly hym hydeth Whan that a lytell dogge dooth at hym bay And yf the good man / what is that wyll say The wyfe wyll answere / syr it is a ratte That he dooth barke / or elles at the catte For ofte tymes afore he hath doone so Thus wyll she say with many wordes mo So shortly for to speke this man is trapped And in the lepe he closed is and lapped She maketh hym the chyldren for to bere Whan they wolde play / and dady here and there Also she causeth hym to take and holde

Her spyndell and the thredes to vnfolde Upon the saterday / whan she dooth rele And she wyll chyde yf he do not wele Now hath he foūde a thynge whiche he hath sought And vpon hym newly dooth fall a thought For warre begynneth in that regyon And euery man vnto the strongest toune Wyll drawe that he can fynde to saue his lyfe But he at home abyde must with his wyfe And may not leue her wherfore he perchaunce Is take prysoner / and grete fynaunce Then must he pay / or elles in pryson dwell This can this man of care and sorowe tell Whiche in his husholde kepynge he hath founde For nyght and day he must trotte on the grounde Uytayles to gete / or for some other nede And shortly for to say so dooth he spede That his poore body neuer shall haue rest Unto the tyme he put be in his chest Then falleth he in sykenes and in aege Wherby with hym is past lust and courage Well lesse than prayed shall he be alway And lyke a foulecouer be cast away Whiche is not wrothe to occupy that crafte So is all Ioye and pleasure hym beraft The wyfe hath doughters two or thre or mo Whiche wolde be maryed / and they be not so Wherfore they prayse this good man but a lyte But haue hym in dysdayne / and grete dyspyte In to the goute he falleth seke and sore And helpe hymselfe so shall he neuer more For euyll paynes suche as he hath had Whiche with his wyfe / hath thus ben ouerlad

Than may this poore man his synnes wepe Within the lepe / where he is closed depe Out of the whiche he neuer shall departe But styll remayne / and euer take his parte Of Ioyes suche as be in maryage Whiche he from youth hath founde vnto his aege And yet hym fallen is more heuynesse For he ne dare cause for to synge a messe Ne make his last wyll and testament But yf his wyfe ther vnto wyll consent For he to her so buxome is and bonde That body and soule he putteth in her hande Thus vsyth he his lyfe in languysshynge Alway / and eke a sorowfull endynge He shall sustayne and wretchedly his dayes This man shall ende withouten myrth or playes And all is the cause of his good wyfe That causeth hym so to be caytyfe

¶ Here endeth the twelfth Ioye of maryage.

¶ Here begynneth the .xiii. Ioye of maryage

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The .xiii. Ioye of maryage is so That whan that he whiche wedded is also Within the lepe hathe ben and dwelled there With his good wyfe well syxe or seuen yere Or elles peraduenture more or lesse The certaynte wherof I do but gesse And demeth he is sure by his aduyse That he hath founde a woman good and wyse With whome he rested hath in grete pleasaunce And he a gentylman may be perchaunce Whiche for to gete hym worshyp and honoure Wolde put hym forthe / to do his best deuoure Then to his wyfe he wyll declare and say

My loue I must ryde out on my Iourney To suche a londe nyghe to the realme of fraunce Where I may wynne grete fame and valyaunce And she ther with ofte wolde hym clyppe and kys Wepynge and syghynge / and say O what is thys Alas my loue wyll ye departe so soone Leuynge me here with all this charge to doone And in no wyse ye vnderstande certayne If ones or neuer ye shall come home agayne Bothe nyght and daye she dooth vpon her syde All that she can to cause hym to abyde My loue sayth he. I must of veray nede This Iourney take on me how so I spede Or elles shall I lese / bothe the fees and wage All that I haue and eke myn herytage The whiche I holde / and with goddes grace I shall come home agayne in lytell space And in aduenture he gooth ouer the se With suche a prynce or in a grete arme To gete hym honoure / or for chyualry So of his wyfe than taketh he congye Whiche maketh all the dole that one can make At suche departynge for her husbandes sake For yf he be suche one as loueth honour There is no wyfe loue ne peramour That frome the dede of armes may hym holde If he an hardy persone be and bolde Turne we agayne to this noble man anone The whiche vpon his vyage forthe is gone And vnto god he recommaundeth all His wyfe and his chyldren in especyall It happeth that he ouer the see gooth clere And where his ennemyes are he draweth nere

His fortune may so by aduenture vary That yeres thre or foure he shall out tary How he is deed the wyfe than hath herde say Wherof she maketh sorowes nyght and day So grete that for to here it is meruayle But alway may she not so wepe and wayle For blyssed be god / she dooth appece at last And so it happeth that she is maryed fast Unto an other man / and dooth forgete Her olde husbande / and all the Ioyes grete And loue / that she vnto hym bare in her mynde Here may ye se / that she can torne and wynde For now the solace and the pleasures olde And feruent loue with her be waxen colde Whiche to her husbande she was wonte to make And reason why / for she a newe hath take The folkes then / suche as afore haue sene The maner of the delynge them bytwene Sayth that this newe man she loueth more Than that she dyde her husbande here to fore But so it is as fortune dooth constrayne Her other husbande cometh home agayne Whiche olde and feble growen is to se For alway at his pleasure was not he And whan he to his countree draweth nere Of newes hastely he doeth enquere Bothe of his wyfe / and of his chyldren all Grete doute he hath / how it is with them all Supposynge they be deed or elles greued Some otherwyse whiche he wolde were releued And prayeth god them for to saue and kepe Full pytously well nye in poynte to wepe And it may happen well in the same houre

That this man prayed deuoutly foro socure He whiche the wyfe so wedded late agayne Enbraceth her fast in his armes twayne Than hereth he how that they maryed were But how he pleased is suche newes to here I trowe the sorowe of Abraham & the payne Was not so grete / whiche his sone sholde haue slayne Ne yet the sorowe of Iacob and his sone To his were lyke / ne none vnder the sonne For Tantalus whiche cheyned lyeth in hell Can not of greter payne and sorowe tell Than this poore man whiche dooth hym selfe so cast In suche a sorowe as shall endure and last Perpetuelly / whiche he shall not recure Ne yet forgete / but in the same endure And other whyle the chyldren haue grete shame To se theyr moder / brought in suche defame And neuer shall they mary one ne other Of many a yere / for mysrule of the mother It fortune may / somtyme that in batayle As it dooth oft / some man dooth not preuayle But at askarmysshe / slayne is cruelly Or in a felde myn auctour sayth / for why Ofte happeth it / that he whiche hath the ryght Shall vaynquysshed be / or elles put vnto flyght I put case that this man gooth to his wyfe And in his yre wyll make debate and stryfe With her and with her husbande wedded newe Now what a vengeaunce herof may ensewe He cometh home with swerdes snarpe and bryght And peraduenture late within the nyght Whiche fyndeth them togyder bothe in bedde Than swereth he by the blode that Ihesus bledde

They shall be slayne withouten ony remedy And they aryse bothe all hastely A fore that he the doores can vp breke And ryght pyteously to hym dooth speke Alas my loue she sayth / what do ye now I wende ye had ben deed I make auow By many a man it hath benshewed and sayd That ye were slayne and in your graue ylayde But for that I wolde knowe the certaynte I was vnmaryed more than yeres thre And suche a sorowe made I nyght and day That all my wytte and reason fyll away Helples I was / longe tyme in wo and care And god it wote full euyll dyde I fare That ye were deed / eche man sayd out of doute And I ne coude well brynge y^e worlde aboute Wherfore my frendes aduysed me to mary And so I dyde / for what cause sholde I tary Ye neuer sente me worde / how that ye dyde But ye alway your counceyle fro me hyde And as this wyly woman stode and talked The newly wedded husbande / softely stalked And toke a bowe in hande / and dyde it bende And boldly sayd / he wolde his place defende Than sayd the wyfe vnto her husbandes bothe Good gentyll syrs / yfye wolde not be wrothe But well agre / I trust you bothe to please My selfe / and you at euery tyme well ease The olde husbāde thus knowȳge of theyr dede Departeth sodaynly / for he must nede With shame ynough / and hasteth hym away And they within the house fast laugh and play And after this so seke he is and sadde

That he within a whyle is waxen madde Wherfore I say / he that may fortune so As dyde this man whiche wolde for honour go The way in to the lepe of maryage Streyght hath he founde as byrde in to the cage How be it he afore was not so wyse Of so grete Ieoperdyes to take aduyse So shall he lede his lyfe and hym enable To be a sole / and mete to bere the bable And at the last in paynes greuously He shall his dayes ende / and wretchedly

¶Here endeth the .xiii. Ioye of maryage.

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