The Example of Vertu Part 4

Forth than went dyscrecyon and I Out of the castell into a grene Where byrdys sange by grete melody There daunst also the fayre quene Besyde a ryuer named Ephesene Ouer whiche we wente to the other syde That was a medowe both longe and wyde

Longe there we wandred tyll at the last We came vnto a ryght grete wyldernes By that tyme Phebus was ouer past Wherfore we walked in grete derkenes The whiche to me was a grete heuynes For Lucyna eke dyd her shrowde Vnder a blacke and mysty clowde

For she was horned and no thynge cleere And entred into the sygne of caprycorne Ryght ferre from phebus fulgent speere And not ayenst hym the crowne had worne I went vp and downe tyll on the morne That phebus his golden reyes dyd sprede Than dyscrecyon ferther forth me lede

Amonge thornes sharpe & bestes wylde There was the lyon the wolf & the bere But I coude mete nother man ne chylde But many serpentes that dyde me fere And by a swete smelle I knewe a pantere So forth I went by longe contynuaunce Tyll that I sawe an herber of pleasaunce

To whiche I toke anone my waye Where that I sawe a lady excellent Rydynge on a goote in fresshe arraye Ryght yonge of age & l.u.s.ty of entent Prayenge me to her for to a.s.sent As to fulfyll the flesshly pleasure Whiche she desyred me out of mesure

Nay sayd dyscrecyon that may not be No sayd I in no maner of wyse To her request I wyll now agree But euermore here foule l.u.s.t despyse For I my selfe do now aduyse To kepe me chast that I may mary Fayre dame Clennes that n.o.ble lady

[Ill.u.s.tration]

So forth I went walkynge my iournay Metynge a lady olde and amyable Syttynge in a castell both fressh and gay On an olyphauntes backe in strength so stable Whiche it to bere was good and able Hauynge in her hande a cup of golde Sette with perles ryght many afolde

She sayd she was the lady of rychesse The quene of welth and worldely glory Praynge me to company with her n.o.blenesse And she than wolde promote me shortely To innumerable ryches and make me worthy Where I am poore and sette by nought By her to worshyp I sholde be brought

Vnto her I answered I wolde not so As for to hunt in the parke of pryde The whiche to Clennes is mortall fo But with Dyscrecyon I wyll abyde Whiche doth a wyfe for me prouyde By whome I shall haue the possessyowne Of heuenly kyngdome & grete renowne

So forth I went and had grete trauayle Without the comfort of ony persone Saue of dyscrecyon whiche dyd me counsayle As she went walkynge with me alone Vnto her I made full grete mone And lykened the wyldernes by morall scence Vnto worldely trouble by good experyence

She sayd the fyrst lady that I dyd mete Iclyped was dame Sensualyte Whiche can well flater with wordes swete Causynge a man to fall into fragylyte And for to haunt the carnall freylte Whiche vnto clennes is abhomynable For they in werke be gretely varyable

The seconde was pryde enduyd with couetyse A lady of ryght fruytles medytacyon Delytynge gretly in the synne of auaryce The whiche is cause of her dampnacyon For she by her fals supportacyon Blyndeth many a mannes conscyence And dryueth ryght oft fer in absence

So ferther I went tyll at the last I was in a mase goynge in and oute Ther was none other way I was agast But forth I walked in grete doute Now here now there and so rounde aboute Than sayd vnto me dame Dyscrecyon Ye are in the besynes of worldely fastyon

Therein I trauayled by longe s.p.a.ce Tyll that I mette a lady gloryous Indued with vertue and grete grace To whom I sayd o lady precyous As ye seme to be good and vertuous I you beseche now without delaye Vnto dame Clennes to teche me the waye

I Sapyence now wyll shewe to the The ryght waye vnto fayre clennes And yf thou wylt be ruled by me Thou shalt mary that n.o.ble prynces Yes that wyll I sayd than douteles Dyscrecyon sayd she wolde be my suerte Sapyence sayd none better myght be

Than sayd dyscrecyon to dame sapyence Welcome to vs my syster dere And I to her dyd humble reuerence Saynge who had went to fynde you here Yes she sayd I haue ben neere You often tymes syth my departynge And haue ben cause of your goode gydynge

Capitulum .x.

Come on your waye walke on a pace For ye longe for to haue a syght Of dame Clennes so clere a face So goodely of body in beauty bryght That there can not be so fayre a wyght So forth we walked to a ryuer syde That ebbed and flowed at euery tyde

Than I saw a castell a pales royall Bylded with marble blacke as the gette With gla.s.se wyndowes as clere as crystall Whiche on the other syde was sette No man to the castell myght gette But ouer the water on a lytell brydge Not halfe so brode as a hous rydge

But as I cast myn eye than asyde I saw a lady wounderous fayre Demure of contenaunce without pryde That went her selfe for to repayre By the water syde to take the ayre Beholde and se than sayd dame sapyence Yonder is dame Clennes the sterre of excellence

Full glad was I than in my mynde For to se that flour of complacence The syght of her dyd my herte bynde Euer her to loue with percynge influence Vnto her I sayd o well of contynence Vnto your grace fayne wolde I go Ner lettynge of this water blo

To me she answered than agayne Saynge this worlde withouten mys Is but a vanyte no thynge certayne In the lyke wyse as this water is Ye can not come to me now ywys But by that brydge that goth ouer This stormy troublous & wawy water

Therof sayd sapyence he shall not lette Well sayd Clennes be you his gyde And dyscrecyon also for to be sette For to vpholde hym vnto the other syde That he do not in the water slyde So to the brydge they dyde me lede I quacked than for fere and drede

I sawe there wryten this lytterall sence No man this brydge may ouer go But he be pure without neglygence And stedfast in G.o.ddes byleue also Yf he be ignoraunt and do not so He must nedys into this water fall Ouer the heed and be drowned with all

They led me ouer this brydge so peryllous Tyll that I came to a preuy place Where were wryten with letters gloryous This is the kyngdome of grete grace No man by yonde this marke may trace But yf he be brought in by dame wysedome If he so be he is moche welcome

So forthermore yet forth we went Into a hall that was solacyous Made of precyous stones splendent That theym to se it was ryght wounderous They were there so gretly plenteuous That the hall paued was for the nones With none other grauell but precyous stones

[Ill.u.s.tration]

There was dame Clennes that lady gent And eke her fader the kynge of loue He satte in a chayre ryght clere and excellent At the vpper ende of the hall aboue He satte styll and dyd not remoue Gyrde with wylowes and myght not se No maner a thynge in his degre

He had two wynges ryght large and grete And his body also was naked And a dart in his ryght hand was sette And a torche in his left hand brenned A botell aboute his necke was hanged His one leg armed and naked the other Hym for to se it was a wonder

Sapyence bad me meruayll no thynge For she wold shewe me the sygnifycacyon Why he so sate by shorte rekenynge Accordynge to a morylyzacyon Now of the fyrste to make relacyon Loue sholde be gyrde faste with stabylyte Without whiche loue can haue no suerte

Loue may not se but is alway blynde And wenyth no man can haue perseuerauce Where that he loueth by naturall kynde But he do shewe hym by wordes of vterauce Trught he bewreyeth hym by contenaunce For hard it wyll be loue so to couere But that som man shall it perceuere

Also his nakednes doth sygnyfy That true loue no thynge ellys desyreth But the very persone and eke body That he so well and feruentely loueth His wynges also well betokenyth That his mynde fleeth vnto the persone That he doth loue so well alone

And also loue is stryken with a sharpe darte That maketh a man for to complayn Whan that it hath wounded sore his herte It brenneth hote lyke fyre certeyn Than loue his purpose wolde fayne atteyn And is euermore both hoot and drye Tyll his lady gyue hym drynke of mercy

His one legge is armed to defende The ryght that longeth vnto amyte And wronge loue for to amende His naked legge betokeneth charyte That is the Ioye of grete felycyte So charyte ryght loue and good concorde With stablynes reygneth in this myghty lorde

Capitulum .xi.

Than forth me led good dame Sapyence Afore that myghty lordes mageste Come on she sayd put the in presence That thou mayst se dame clennes beaute Ponder in thy mynde by veryte That so fayre as she was not quene helyn Quene Ipolyte or yonge Polyxyn

This lady is clene without corrupcyon And wereth thre crownes for her vyrgynyte One is for people of perfyt relygyon An other for maydens kepynge chastyte The therde for true wedowes as [thou] mayst se I wyll the now to her fader present Her for to mary yf she wyll consent

Than sayd dame sapyence o n.o.ble emperour O souerayne lorde and royall potestate O vyctoryous prynce & famous conquerour O kynge of loue and seaser of debate To the no creature may say chekmate I present the now this vertuous knyght For to mary clennes your doughter bryght

I thanke you he sayd for your good wyll But he that to Clennes maryed must be He must my commaundement fyrste fulfyll As to scomfyte the dragon with heedes thre That is a serpent of grete subtylte Whiche well betokeneth as we do fynde The worlde the flesshe & the deuyll by kynde

Sapyence sayd I sholde not fayle To do his commaudement for Clennes sake As for to sle the dragon in batayle That lay in a marys in a grete lake Whiche was moche stynkynge foule & blake Wysedome bade me be not aferde For she wolde gyue me a shelde and swerde

And arme me also with fayre armure To vaynquysshe that dragon so ferse & grete She sayd it sholde be so good and sure That I no harme of hym sholde gete Though he his teth on me had sete Yet sholde I slee hym for all his myght By my grete strokes whan I dyd fyght

Fyrst she my legge harneys sette on And after my plackerd of grete ryches She armed me her selfe alone And laced my helmet of her gentylnes I thanked her for her grete goodnes And gaue me my swerde and sheld also Saynge lete vs to the dragon go

This is the armure for the soule That in his epystole wrote saynt Poule Good hope thy legge harneys shall be The habergyn of ryghtwysnes gyrde [with] chastyte Thy plackarde of besynes [with] brauches of almes dede Thy shelde of beleue and mekenes for the hede Thy swerde shall be the to defend The worde of G.o.d the deuyll to bl[ey]nde