The loue and complayntes bytwene Mars and Venus

¶The compleynt of Uenus for Mars.

Ther nys soo hyghe comfort to my plesaunce whan that I am in ony heuynes As for to haue leyzer of remembraunce Upon the manhode and the worthynes Upon the trouthe / and the stedfastness Of hym / whos I am / all / while I may dure Ther ought blame me noo creature For euery wyght preyseth his gentylnessne

In hym eis bounte wysedom and gouernaūce well more / than ony manes wytte can gesse For grace hath wold him soo ferforth tauaūce That of knyghthode / he is parfyght rychesse Honoure honouerth hym / for his noblesse Therto soo well / hath fourmed hym nature That I am his for euer / I hym assure For eury wyght preyseth his gentylesse

And not withstandyng alle his suffysaunce His gentyll herte / is of soo grete humblesse To me in werke / in word / in contenaunce And me to serue is alle his besynesse That I am sette in veray sekernesse Thus ought I well blysse myn aueture Syth that hym lyste me serue in honure For euery wyght preyseth his gentylesse

Now certes loue / it is ryght couenable That men full dere abye / thy noble thyng As wake a bedde / fastyng at the cable wepyng to lawhe / and synge in copleyneg And soone to caste vysage and lokyng Often to chaunge vysage and contenaunce Pley in slepyng / and dreme at the daunce All the reuerse / of my glad feelyng

Ialousye be hanged with a cable

She wold all knowe / thuegh her espyeg Ther doth noo wyght / nothyng soo resonable That all nys harme / in her ymagenyng Thus dere abought / is loue in yeuyng whiche ofte he yeueth / withoute ordenaunce As sorowe ynough / and lytyll plesaunce All the reuerse / of my glad feelyng

A lytell tyme / his yefet is agreable But full encombrous / is the vsyng For subtyll Ialusye / the deceyuable Full ofte tyme causeth destourbyng Thus ben we euer / in drede and suffryng In noncertayne we languysshyng in penaūce And haue full ofte many a hard myschaūce All the reuerse of my glad feelyng

But certes loue / I seye not in suche wyse That for to skape out of your laas I mente For I soo long haue ben in your seruyse That for to lete of / wyll I neuer assente Now force / thaugh Ialousye me turment Suffyseth me to see hym whan I may And therfore certe / to myn endyng day To loue hym best / shall I neuer repente

And certes loue whan I me well auyse On euery estate / that men may represente

Then̄e haue ye made me thurgh your fraūchi¦se Chese the best / y^e euer on erthe wente Now loue well her / & loke thou neuer stente And lete the Ialous put it in assaye That for no payne / wold I not saye naye To loue you best / shall I neuer repente

Hehrte to the it ought ynough suffyse That loue to the / soo byghe a grace hath sente To chese the worthyest / of alle wyse And moost agreable / vnto myn entente Seke noo further / neyther weye ne wente Syn I haue suffysaunce / vnto my pay Thus wold I ende / this complaynt or lay To loue hym best / ne shall I neuer repente