The works of our ancient, learned, & excellent English poet, Jeffrey Chaucer as they have lately been compar'd with the best manuscripts, and several things added, never before in print : to which is adjoyn'd The story of the siege of Thebes, by John Lidgate ... : together with The life of Chaucer, shewing his countrey, parentage, education, marriage, children, revenues, service, reward, friends, books, death : also a table, wherein the old and obscure words in Chaucer are explained, and such words ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.

Here followeth a Ballad which Chaucer made in the Praise, or rather Dispraise, of Women, for their Doubleness.

THis world is full of variaunce, In euery thing who taketh hede

That faith and trust, and all constance, Exiled been this is no drede, And saue onely in womanhede, I can see no sekerness, But for all that, yet as I rede, Beware alway of doubleness.

* Also that freshe somer floures, White and rede, blewe and greene, Been sodenly, with winter shoures, Made feinte and fade, without wene: That trust is none as ye may seene, In no thing, nor no stedfastness, Except in women, thus I meene, Yet aye beware of doubleness.

The croked Mone, this is no tale, Some while yshene and bright of hewe, And after that full derke and pale, And euery moneth chaungeth newe, That who the veray soth knewe, * All things is bilt on brotleness, Saue that women aye be trewe, Yet aye beware of doubleness.

The lusty freshe sommers day, And Phebus with his beames clere, Towards night they drawe away And none lenger list appere, * That in this present life now here, Nothing abideth in his faireness, Saue women aye be found intere, And deuoide of doubleness.

The sea eke, with his sterne wawes, Eche day floweth new againe, And by concours of his lawes The ebbe floweth in certaine: * After grete drought, there cometh a raine, That farewel here all stabelness, Saue that women be hole and plaine, Yet aye beware of doubleness.

* Fortunes whele goeth round about, A thousand times, day and night, Whose course standeth euer in doubt, For to transmew, she is so light, For which aduerteth in your sight, The vntrust of worldy fikelness, Saue women, which of kindly right, Ne hath no teche of doubleness.

What man may the wind restraine, Or hold a snake by the taile, Or a slipper ele constraine, That it will voide, without faile, Or who can driue so a naile, To make sure new fongleness, * Saue women that can gie their saile, To row their boote with doubleness.

At euery hauen they can ariue, Where as they wote is good passage, Of innocence they can not striue, With wawes nor no rockes rage, So happy is their lodemanage, With needle and stone their course to dress, * That Salomon was not so sage, To find in them no doubleness.

Therefore who so them accuse, Of any double entencion, To speake, rowne, other to muse, To pinch at their condicion, All is but false collusion, I dare rightwell the sothe express, They haue no better protection, But shrowd them vnder doubleness.

* So well fortuned is their chaunce, The dice to turne vp so doune, With sise and sincke they can auaunce, And then by reuolucion, They set a fell conclusion, Of ••ombes, as in soothfastness, Though clerkes make mencion, Their kinde is fret with doubleness.

Sampson had experience, That women were full trew yfound, When Dalyda of innocence, With sheeres gan his heere to round, To speake also of Rosamound, And Cleopatris faithfulness, The stories plainly will confound, Men that apeche their doubleness.

Single thing ne is not praised, Nor of old is of no renoun, In balaunce when they be peised, For lacke of waight they be bore doun, And for this cause of just reason. These women all of rightwiseness, Of choise and free election, Moste loue eschaunge and doubleness.

Lenuoye.

O Ye women which been enclined, By influence of your nature, To been as pure as gold yfined, In your truth for to endure, Arme your selfe in strong armure, Least men assaile your sikerness, Set on your brest your selfe to assure, A mighty shield of doubleness.

Explicit.