Here begynneth a lytel treatyse called the co[n]traverse bytwene a louer and a jaye lately compyled.

Here begynneth a lytel treatyse called the co[n]traverse bytwene a louer and a jaye lately compyled.

Table of contents

Title page

§

¶ Here behynneth the 〈◊〉.

§

§

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

¶ Here begynneth a lytel treatyse called the cōtrauerse bytwene a louer and a Iaye lately compyled.

§

§

[Page] THoughe laureate poetes in olde antyquyte

Fayned fables vnder clowdy sentence

yet some intytuled fruytefull moralyte

Some of loue wrote grete cyrcumstaunce

Some of cheuaulrous actes made remembraunce

Some as good phylosophres naturally endyted

Thus wysely and wyttely theyr tyme they spended.

¶ Ouyde of loue made matters wonderfull

Good to be knowen for eschewynge more euyll

But Calunace and Tybull with style moche paynful

Tenderly wrote of loue dylectable

Gallus and Sappho ben nothynge profytable

For yonge folkes to rede oflusty courage

Lest they be taged in Uenus bondage

¶ Cancer floure of rethoryke eloquence

Compyled bokes pleasaunt and meruayllous

After hym noble Gower experte in scyence

wrote moralytyes herde and delycyous

But Lydgates workes are fruytefull & sentencyous

who of his bokes hathe redde the fyne

He wyll hym call a famus rethorycyne

¶ yonge Steuen Hawse whose soule god pardon

Treated of loue so clerkely and well

To rede his werkes is myne affeccyon

whiche he compyled for Labell pusell

Remembrynge storyes fruytefull and delectable

I lytell or nought experte in poetry

Oflamentable loue hathe made a dytty.

¶ Here behynneth the [...].

[Page]

IN an arbere.

Late as I were

The foules to here

was myne entente

Syngynge in fere.

with notes clere

They made good chere

On bowes bente

¶ Theyr tewnes swete

Moued me to slepe

Ferther to flete

I coude not restrayne

To take my rest

Me thought it best

It was my lust

Styll to remayne.

¶ The floures florysshed

The trees burnysshed

The odoure me nourysshed

with grete suauyte

That styll I laye

All the longe daye

In sporte and playe

By songes of melody.

¶ Me thought in slombre

I herde a louer

without recouer

Cryenge alas.

[Page] My loueswikynde.

That dyde me bynde

Hathe chaunged her mynde.

For no trespace.

¶ with rewfull songe.

His hondes he wronge

Endurynge longe.

His herte was thro.

Bothe erthe and heuen.

with planettes seuen.

Myght here his steuen

where he dyde go.

¶ His coloure reede

was pale as leede

Lyke alshes deede

For greuous payne

In herte can dare

And lothely fare

In gretter care▪

was neuer man.

¶ His herte was faynte.

For grete complaynte.

His heere he rente

without pyte.

And fell to the grounde

Often tymes that stounde.

with mortall wounde

He cryed on hye.

¶ Amator.

¶ O herte vnfayne.

[Page] Thou may complayne

Of thy lemman

And lady swete.

For lacke of comforte

Or goodly sporte

Thou must resorte

And wayle and wepe

¶ O paynes outragyous.

Grete and contagyous.

No myrthe solacyous.

Maye you abate

But euer to renewe.

And euer to extewe.

She is vntrewe

Alacke Alacke.

¶ O inwarde sorowe

Bothe euen and morowe

Saynt George to borowe.

Thou hast grete wronge

without on thought

Auaylynge nought

For loue hath wrought.

The in suche thronge

¶ O wonderfull loue

That me dyde moue

without reproue

Of thought vntrue

O loue ryght clene

As Phebus beme

Syth the fyrste tyme

[Page] That I the knewe

¶ O loue constrayned.

O loue sore payned

O loue not fayned

O loue of lykynge

where is thy solace

where is thy maystres

where in thy gladnes

where is thy swetynge.

¶ O gentyll floure

Reclayme thy paramoure

wounded ryght sore

with loues launce

Reclayme reclayme

And thynke no shame

Exyle dysdayne

From your remembraunce

¶ Lette pyte lede

your womanhede

And mercy guyde

your tendre aege

O famus pucell

Meke courtoys and gentell

Semynge to be ryght well

Ofnoble parentage

¶ Retourne retourne

Beholde I mourne

was neuer none borne

That loue more greued.

Full lytell it ywys.

[Page] Knowe ye I gesse

what payne it is

To loue vnloued

¶ Alas o nature

why dyde ye fygure.

So fayre a creature

Of flesshe and bone

Excepte that she

To loue wolde plye

And haue pyte

On her true man

¶ O cupyde kynge

Of loue and louynge

Grete is thy werkynge

And vyolent powre

Constrayne constrayne

To me a gayne

Myne owne lemman

And paramoure.

¶ O Uenus hyghe

Of goddes chefe

Beholde my grefe

And wofull chere

Redresse my smerte

And cause my swete herte

Shortely reuerte

To her prysonere

¶ O meruaylous fortune

That helthe domynyon

And in thy bandon

Euery lyuynge wyght

[Page] Helpe to preuayle

My paynfull trauayle.

I wepe and I wayle

Bothe daye and nyght

¶ Syth you me brought

To loue vnsought

Me thynke you ought

Be reason good.

To wounde her sore

With dyntes of armoure

That pyte poore

May chaunge her mode.

¶ O dethe do swarue

My herte vayne to carue

That I may sterue.

My lyfe is lorne.

He fell in swowne

Recouerynge soone

He set hym downe.

Under a thorne.

¶ The auctoure.

¶ The vyrdes aboute

Sange in a route

With to wnes stoute.

Of armony.

Hym to aswage

Fallynge in rage.

Otloues bondage.

For his lady.

[Page] ¶ Coude not refrayne.

His mortall payne

But dyde complayne

With heuynesse

Alas sayd he

What cause hath she

Unkynde to be.

For no trespace.

¶ Graculus loquitur amatori.

¶ In that affraye.

A Ianglynge Iaye

Sange on a spraye

Bothe two and fro

Thou carefull man

That dothe complayne

In herte vnfayne

Why doest thou so.

¶ Amator.

¶ With wofull chere

And sorowes sere.

Was nought afere

Trouthe to reporte

That vnkyndnesse

Of his may stresse

Was paynfulnesse.

Without comforte.

¶ Graculus.

¶ To set thy mynde

On one vnkynde.

Thy wyttes were blynde

yet neuerthelesse

[Page] Thyselfe to spyll

Do way be styll

For after trouble

Cometh Ioyfulnesse.

¶ Exyle dyspayre

To myrth repayre

For sorowe and care

Auayleth nought

To good request

Be alwaye prest

For wytte is beest

whan it is bought

¶ Amator.

¶ Her beaute pure

And countenaunce demure.

Is prynted sure

In myne herte rote

No remedy

But I must dye

without that she

wyll be my bote.

¶ with grete tourment

And syghes feruent

I make complaynte

To god aboue.

was neuer wyght.

So doulefully dyght

By daye nor nyght

And all for loue.

¶ Erly or late

No rest I take

[Page] But for her sake

Mourneth styll

Trustynge for grace

But none can pourchace

Adue alas God knoweth my wyll.

¶ Graculus.

¶ Syth fortunes chaunce

Hath made instaunce

The to auaunce

In venus playe

Beware agayne

Of false dysdayne

That with gyle and trayne

wyll the betraye.

¶ when thou wenest leest

And trusteth best

Thou shalte be fyrste

Desceyued in dede

For loue is vayne

And neuer certayne

But full of payne.

And foly to mede.

¶ Loue is delycyous

Loue is prymerose

Loue is more precyous

Than golde and tapasyon

Loue is a prety cage

For foules of tender aege

Loue is but dotage

when we haue all done.

¶ Loue is grete pleasure

[Page] To euery yonge creature

Loue is a treasure.

That wasteth faste

Loue is comfortable

Loue is ofte varyable

Loue is deceyuable

And nought at the laste

¶ what thynge is loue.

That so dothe moue.

Fayne wolde I proue

Howe it dothe come

Nothynge loue is

But nature I gesse

And from nature it comes.

By faythfull affeccyon.

¶ Thoughe nature moue

And bydde the loue

yet wysdome wolde proue.

Or it be hote

when fortune sowre

Dothe on the lowre

Thou getest an owre

In cocke lorels bote.

¶ Auyse the well.

And take good counsell

Thou hast fre wyll

To rule and guyde

For loue is daungerous

False and contagyous

And as sure as a mouse

Tyed at a threde.

[Page] ¶ I can not contrary

But mannes moost felycyte

Is close in femynyte

By affeccyon naturall

yet trewly it is but foly

To loue contynually

A thynge that is transytory

And not perpetuall

¶ Thou mayst take ensample.

Of Graundamoure and Grysyll

Iason and Isaphyll

Ferther to pursewe

Of Tysbe and Pyramys

Helyne and Parys

Scylla and Mynoys

That were louers trewe

¶ what is become

Of Phylys and Demophon

Alcumena and Alphytyon.

with many thousandes mo

Pollyxena and Achylles.

Dyanyra and hercules

where is there grette gladnes

And amyable Ioye

¶ where is Semele and Iocasta.

Cleoparte and Ixonya

Semyrramys and Syluya

So fayre of fauoure.

what auayleth the beauty [...]

Of Medea and Lucresse

Syth all thynge is vanytes.

[Page] And fadeth as a floure.

¶ whyle fortune was frendely

And tourned her whele kyndely

They had moche felycyte.

In loue and lykynge.

Grete was theyr affeccyon

In carnall dylectacyon

Now are they all gone.

For all theyr louynge.

¶ Penelope was faythfull

Cyrcys was deceytefull

Neobe was carefull

And Hester was good

Theyr padyandes are past

And ours wasteth fast

Nothynge dothe aye last

But the grace of god.

¶ Therfore well consyder

This worldes Ioye is slyder

Nothynge is more sweter

And decayeth so soone

with reason be contente

For fere thou repente

To my counsayle consente

And let loue alone.

¶ Amator.

¶ O foule of fayrenesse.

Swete are thy storyes

That thou doest expresse

To me in doloure

Yet neuerthelesse

[Page] Nature is fresshe

And woundeth me doubtelesse

with dyntes of armoure

¶ I knowe ryght well

No loue is durable

when fortune vnstable

Tourneth her face

On wretches to wrythe

And her power kythe.

Be they wrothe or blythe

She chaungeth theyr solace.

¶ yet my poore herte

Can not awaye sterte

From the penetable darte

Of blynde Cupydo

His doughter wyll

woundeth me styll

with paynes vnmedsynable

where euer I go.

¶ Thus am I wrapped.

And in wo vnbelapped

Suche loue hath me trapped.

without ony cure

Syr Trystram the good

For his lemman I soude

More sorowe neuer bode

Then I do endure.

¶ Lamwell and Lamaroke.

Gawayne and Launcelorte

Garathe and Craddocke

with the table rounde.

[Page] Syr Beuys / syr Eglamoure

Syr Terry / syr Tryamoure

In more greuous doloure

was neuer in bounde

¶ Phedra and theseus

Progne and Thereus

Pasyphe and Taurus

who lyketh to proue

Canace and Machareus

Galathea and Pamphylus

was neuer more dolorous.

And all for true loue.

¶ Dydo and Deydamya

Leda and Lanynya

Marra and Medusa

And Tomyrys so hynde.

Candacys and Cyrene

Calysto and Cydyppe

was neuer none lyke me

In trewe herte and mynde.

¶ Treusa and Cletemnestra

Smylax and Latona

Bybles and Atalanta

Ofarcady the quene

Daphnys Hypermestra

Dyrce and Cloylea

Hypolyte and Dyana

All these louers hath bene

¶ I haue serched of late

Many poete laureate.

That dyuers bookes dyde make

[Page] And storyes regystred

Yet in comparyson.

Of my trewe affecoyon

Scarsely can I fynde one

Syth Troylus reygned

¶ That was trewe and faythfull.

In loue that is paynfull

without fraude dysceytefull

Or preuy stryfe.

Therfore as I fynde

I wyll shewe my mynde

Ryght fewe of Gryseldes kynde

Is now lefte on lyue.

¶ This worlde is altered

Condycyons are chaunged

As is dayly proued

By trewe experyence

Trust is now trechery

And loue is but Lechery.

All thynges decayeth dayly

¶ without repentaunce

¶ Thoughe I more speke

My herte wyll breke

So loue wyll wreke

On me with tene

Fare well delectacyon

welcome my fortune

I must be contente with reason

As other hathe ben.

¶ Graculus.

¶ For thy dystresse

[Page] And geuynesse.

I wyll expresse

In wordes playne

That women frayle

Are seldome leale

The trouthe to tell

I wyll not layne.

¶ Thy wyll consente

And soone repente

It is them lente

And gyuen by nature.

Therfore beware

To proue ouer ferre

For to loues daungere

They wyll the flatter

¶ Theyr wordes softe blandysshynge

Are quaynte with flaterynge

And with countenaunce faynynge

They can make it nyse

Couered aboue falsely

Forgynge fraudes craftely

That they haue brought many

To a foles paradyse.

¶ Lyke serpentes furyous

Amonge floures odyous.

Theyr venyme hydeous

Remayneth styll

The seugre appereth

The gall behynde leueth

what man that proueth

Shall lyke them fullyll

[Page] ¶ Theyr speches is amyable

Theyr hertes are chaungeable

Theyr myndes are varyable

with mutabylyte

They are worthy no prayse

They are so tempred with alwayes

And as Guydo sayes

They are neuer in suretye

¶ Interes they seme carefull

And inwardly they are dysceytefull

Ryght fewe that be faythfull

For sykernes

They wyll speke fayre outwarde

And thynke the contrary

Thus do they alwaye vary

without doublenesse.

¶ Recorde of Cresyde

whome Troylus loued

And was sore payned

Canset dothe tell

Her loue was fayned

And wortely chaunged.

And gyuen to Dyomede

with grekes to dwelle

¶ who trusteth them best

He shall be the fyrst

Desceyued I trust

By fortune euen

Than may he go

where he came fro

with sorowe and Wo

[Page] Iacke vnshryuen.

¶ Ofte tymes they smyle

In loues style

And dothe begyle

yonge louers faynte

with sportes and playes

But now a dayes

He that truthe sayes

He shall be shente

¶ Uery fewe or none.

Is contente with one

But as the mone

Oftentymes they chaunge

Therfore let a man.

Do as well as he can

For lytell brytayne

Is no graunge

¶ Serche scrypture and polesy

Crownacle and phylosophy

The fraudes of femynyte

with gylefull trayne.

Hathe brought to confusyon

Many a chefe champyon

As Sampson and Salamon

whose storyes are playne

¶ Dauyd the conqueroure

Arystotle the phylosophre

Hercules and Arthure.

with many other mo.

Defamed was craftely

Thrughe womens fraylte

[Page] Answere lette vs se

Is it not so.

¶ Many cytees and townes

Many countres and regyons

Many Erles Dukes and Barons

Destroyed hathe bene

Many a kynge and Emperoure

And bolde knyghtes of aduenture

Hathe dyed with doloure

And all for women

¶ Pryamys and Parys

Hector and Achylles

Patraclus and Palomydes

Dyepholus a roy

Many a noble freke

Of Asye and of Greke

For fayre Helyns sake

was slayne at the syege of troy

¶ How sholde I more wryte

Or yet endyte

My herte dothe wepe

To thynke therupon

what myschefe what murmure

what slaundre and manslaughter

what dysdayne and what murdre

That hathe ben for women

¶ Ferther to procede

Me thynke no nede

To regystre in dede

Theyr propertyes peryllous

Yet who wolde here

[Page] Mocraftes of them sere

Lette hym rede and lere

Guydo and Secundus

¶ Thus in conclysyon

women are confusyon

And fynall destruccyon

To man at the ende

yet shame it is

To blame them doubtelesse

For as clerkes sayes

They haue it of kynde.

¶ Therfore remembre

Theyr yonge ages tendre.

That to loue is egre

with lusty courage.

To loue in youthe

Is pleasure ynoughe

And in age forsothe

It is but dotage

¶ Trust not theyr wordes.

Nor mery bourdes

For knyghtes and lordes

Desceyued haue bene.

They are ofte mutable

They are false and varyable

Therfore trust them but lytell

For all theyr fayre eyen.

¶ Take comforte good

And chaunge thy mode

For by the swete rode

They tourne as the wyde

[Page] On the see I haue bende

And many Ieoperdyes sene

what nede I more to rekyn

Thou knowest my mynde

¶ Remembre well I saye

I must awaye

Passed is the daye

I maye not abyde

She toke her flyght

And flewe forthe ryght

And the wofull wyght

Fast after yede

¶ The auctoure

¶ with that I awoke

And toke my boke

Theron to loke

was my solace

Lyke as I herde

I was not aferde

But worde by worde

I wrote this treatyse.

¶ Finis.

§

§

¶ Lenuoye of the auctoure.

¶ Golytell boke with rudenes replete

Presente the humbly before lecture lytterall

Excusynge thy maker by Way or by strete

And pronounce thy sentence wt language lyberal

Praye them to correcte thy paynes rustycall

For made thou was of shorte aduysement

Be meruayllous instaunce of a louer verament.

[Page] ¶ Fayned thou arte with wordes approbryous.

Regystrynge the actes and [...] of women

That some men wyll Juge the enuyous.

Naye truely than were he to blame

This is his mynde and entendement certayne

Where as they rede and fynde them gyltye

Lette them amende this counsayle gyueth he.

¶ Who lyketh thy sentence and pondureth it ryght

Contectynge well in his remembraunce

Knowe maye he truely that by a lady bryght

Thou was compyled by pastymes pleasaunte.

Suche grete vnkyndnesse whiche caused varyaunce

Was shewed to a louer called. F. T.

Her name also begynneth with. A. B.

¶ Thus endeth the treatyse of the louer and a Jaye,

lately compyled by me Thomas Feylde.

§

§

¶ Imprynted at London in flete strete at the sygne of the Sonne by Wynkyn de worde.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

Here begynneth a lytel treatyse called the co[n]traverse bytwene a louer and a jaye lately compyled.

Feylde, Thomas.

Edition statement

1527

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-07 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A00705

ID [STC]

STC 10838.7

ID [STC]

ESTC S4096

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

34387069

ID [OCLC]

ocm 34387069

ID [VID]

29155

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A00705)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 29155)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1895:17)

Source

— Here begynneth a lytel treatyse called the co[n]traverse bytwene a louer and a jaye lately compyled., Feylde, Thomas., Worde, Wynkyn de, d. 1534?.

Extent

[24] p.

By Wynkyn de Worde,. Jmprynted at London in Flete strete at the sygne of the Sonne :: [1527?]. (Imprint from colophon.) (Title page contains ornamental border, and vignette showing a man conversing with a bird in a tree.) (Date of publication from STC (2nd ed.).) (Contains illustrated t.p. and printer's device on p. [24].) ("Thus endeth the treatyse of the louer and a Jaye, lately compyled by me Thomas Feylde"--p. 24.) (Imperfect: stained.) (Signatures: A-C⁴.) (Reproduction of original in: British Library.)

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