The Complaint of Venus.
THere nis so high comfort to my pleasance,
When that I am in any heauinesse,
As to haue ••ayser of remembraunce,
Vpon the manhood and the worthinesse,
Vpon the trouth, and on the stedfastnesse,
Of him whose I am al while I may dure,
There ought to blame me no creature,
For euery wight praiseth his gentillesse.
In him is bounte, wisdome, & gouernaunce,
Wel more than any mans witte can gesse,
For grace hath wolde so ferforth him auance,
That of knighthood he his parsite richesse,
Honour honoureth him for his noblesse,
Thereto so well hath fourmed him nature,
That I am his foreuer I him ensure,
For euery wight praiseth his gentillesse.
And nat withstanding all his suffisaunce,
His gentil herte is of so great humblesse,
To me in word, in werke, & in countenance,
And me to serue is all his besinesse,
That I am sette in very sikernesse,
Thus ought I blisse well mine auentour,
Sith that him list me sernen and honour,
For euery wight praiseth his gentillesse.
Now certes, loue, it is right couenable
That men ful dere abie thy noble things,
As wake a bedde, and fasten at the table,
Weping to laugh & sing in complainings,
And downe to cast visage and lookings,
Often to chaunge visage and countenaunce,
Play in sleeping, and dremen at the daunce,
All the reuers of any glad feeling.
Ielousie he hanged by a cable,
She wold al know through her espying,
There doth no wight nothing so reasonable,
That al nis harme in her imagining,
Thus dere about is loue in yeuing,
Which oft he yeueth without ordinaunce,
As sorow ynough, and little of plesaunce,
All the reuers of any glad feeling.
A little time his yeft is greable,
But full accombrous is the vsing,
For subtel ielousie the disceiuable,
Full often time causeth distourbing,
Thus ben we euer in drede and suffring,
In no certaine, we languishen in penaunce,
And haue wel oft many an hard mischance,
All the reuers of any glad feling.
But certes loue, I say not in soch wise,
That for to scape out of your ••ace I ment,
For I so long haue been in your seruice,
That for to lete of will I neuer assent,
No force though ielousie me tourment,
Suffiseth me to see him when I may,
And therfore certes to my ending day,
To loue him best, shal me neuer repent.
And certes loue, when I me well aduise,
Of any estate yt man may represent,
Then haue ye made me through your fran∣chise
Thefe the best that euer in earth went,
Now loue well hert, & look thou neuer stent,
And lette the iealous put it in assay,
That for no paine woll I not say nay,
To loue him best, shall I neuer repent.
Herte to thee it ought ynough suffice,
That loue so high a grace to you sent,
To chose the worthies in all wi••e,